Grow Your Own? Rice Self-sufficiency in Timor-Leste
This case examines the challenges of implementing a rice production policy in a country with multiple, sometimes conflicting, needs. Timor-Leste, a small Southeast Asian island nation that achieved independence in 2002, had decided to increase domestic rice production rather than increase rice imports. A 2011 20-year Strategic Development Plan called for rice self-sufficiency by 2020. The case asks students to take on the role of agriculture policy advisor to the prime minister, tasked with setting the timetable for implementing this ambitious plan.
Case number:
SIPA-12-0001.0
Category:
Public Policy Cases
Topics:
international development, food security
Teaching resources:
Teaching note