Economic Policy and Household Welfare During Crisis and Adjustment in Tanzania

Foreword

I FOREWORD lA#ork o n this book starte d in early 199 0 with the initiation of the collabora tive researc h progra m concernin g th e impac t o f adjustmen t policie s i n households in Tanzania between Cornel l University Food and Nutrition Polic y Program (CFNPP) and the Economic Research Bureau (ERP) of the University o f Dar e s Salaam , an d supporte d b y th e Afric a Burea u o f th e U.S . Agenc y fo r International Developmen t (USAID) . Th e originall y envisione d outpu t wa s t o include mostly descriptive and background information o n the Tanzanian econ omy a s a prerequisite t o subsequen t surve y an d mode l buildin g work . Given , however, the massive early literature on Tanzania, the lack of recent analyses , and th e considerabl e controversie s concernin g bot h th e functionin g o f th e economy a s well as the need for and nature of adjustment, ou r interest quickl y turned mor e analytical . Th e attemp t wa s therefor e mad e no t onl y t o giv e a background o n th e Tanzania n econom y bu t als o t o analyticall y describ e bot h the structure of households as well as the functioning o f the true, as contraste d to the observed, economy . The bulk of the work was completed in early 199 1 and revised in late summer of 1991. It was subsequently revised in early 1992, taking into account comments and suggestions from severa l colleagues an d external reviewers . xv XVI" Foreword Among th e authors , A . Sarri s i s responsibl e fo r Chapter s 3 , 4, an d 6 , an d Rogier van den Brink for Chapter 5. The other chapters were written jointly. Several people hav e contribute d a t various stage s o f th e work . Th e author s would lik e t o singl e ou t ou r Tanzania n collaborators , M.S.D . Bagachwa , A . Mbelle, R. Mabele, and A. Tibaijuka fo r various comments and suggestions; K . Budwar, E. Lugusha, L. Merid, A. Naho, E. Stephenson, an d S . Zografakis fo r research assistance during the various stages of the research; and R. Christiansen, C. del Ninno, P. Fleuret, P. Pinstrup-Andersen, and two other anonymous reviewers for helpful suggestion s fo r th e revision. David Sah n was the director of th e project under which this activity was a part, and is acknowledged fo r his overall support. The document was word processed by Elizabeth Vakalopoulou, typese t by Gaudencio Dizon, and produced by New York University Press . Finally, we would like to thank our wives, Maria and Natasha, respectively , for their patience and support during the long period it has taken to complete this book. ALEXANDER H. SARRIS ROGIER VAN DEN BRINK ...