“Dr. Norton provides readers with rich and down-to-earth perspectives on the reality of the forces that shape farming and agricultural production around the world. His deep insights on a series of critical and enduring agricultural development themes offer a wonderful opening for discussion and debate on the most appropriate models of sustainable development in countries around the world. This little treasure book should be required reading for all students learning international agriculture or preparing for an agricultural-related study abroad program.” — Michel Wattiaux, University of Wisconsin

“Professor Norton combines a wealth of personal experience and a thorough understanding of agricultural development issues to clarify for readers the challenges of rural poverty alleviation in developing countries. Clearly written and spiced with dry humor, this book is enjoyable as well as enlightening.” —Gershon Feder, International Food Policy Research Institute

“Wherever you’re going and wherever you’ve been, this little book will enrich your participation in the world’s amazing journey out of rural poverty. George Norton has [previously] shown agricultural scientists how to develop new technologies that the rural poor actually need. Here he writes for everyone, distilling his own experiences in very diverse settings into a vivid series of short chapters on what matters most in agricultural development. I cannot imagine a better guide and companion for your next journey into the developing world, either in person or transported by the exceptionally honest, funny, but ultimately serious stories he tells in this wonderful book.” —Will Masters, Tufts University

“[I] enjoyed the book immensely. It is noteworthy for the clarity with which it explains complex development concepts in nontechnical terms using real-world examples from both high- and low-income countries in different regions of the world.” —Robert Thompson, Johns Hopkins University

“. . . readable, thought provoking, and valuable for those who want to understand the plight of rural poor in developing countries. An accessible introduction to the challenges and underpinnings of agricultural development practice, drawing thoughtful linkages between stirring human stories and lessons from professional experiences, it is a wonderful book to have on either a personal or course reading list. For those of us in the field for a while, it provides a touching reminder of why we became involved in development in the first place.” —Greg Traxler, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

“. . . a delightful read with many insights regarding people and how economic development can work. I highly recommend it to both high school and college students interested in world development and food problems, including my own grandkids . . . a must read for teachers who want to interest their students in development and food security issues.” —K. William Easter, University of Minnesota

“Exceptionally engaging . . . could almost be recommended for its low-key humor alone. What makes it a must-read is the deft use of personal observations and worldwide experience spliced with scholarly insights that challenge the inevitability of ongoing poverty and hunger and that build hope.” —Lars Brink, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

“. . . highly enjoyable . . . part memoir and part development primer, the book offers deep insights into the processes shaping economic development, and provides clear and detailed observations regarding the universal aspirations and daily challenges of the rural poor. Genuine respect for those at the bottom rung of the economic ladder resonates on every page, and abiding optimism and good humor lift the reader to new levels of hope for the path ahead.” —Gerald Shively, Purdue University

“The author conveys the complexity of poverty and, as part of that, [presents] the poor as decent human beings trying to make the best of a difficult life, including a few pleasures here and there, as he takes us down the road to explaining how poverty is reduced. He shows the tremendous progress being made as well as the immensity of the remaining tasks. That [progress] gives us hope for the future. He guides us to understanding complex problems and programs by interspersing fascinating stories of real people with clearly stated facts and relationships. A combination of extensive grass roots experience and knowledge of theory, data, and policy are the unique bases for this valuable book. Read and enjoy the experience and the knowledge.” —John W. Mellor, International Food Policy Research Institute

“George Norton is an internationally acclaimed scholar of the economics of agricultural development. The hallmark of his work is intensive engagement with farmers around the world to identify their aspirations, the constraints that limit their productivity, the risks that imperil their lives and livelihoods, and the opportunities they might seize to improve prospects for themselves, their families and their neighbors. This is a deeply interdisciplinary endeavor, which George reports with remarkable grace and good humor. His is a touchingly personal story, underscoring that his is more than a mere intellectual adventure or a moral crusade to help lift billions of people from unnecessary suffering. The story is at once touching and enlightening, about science as much as about human relationships. I will have my own children and students read it and learn from George’s years of wisdom accumulated around the globe.” —Chris Barrett, Cornell University

“A rare glimpse at development economics in the field, with the humor, frustrations, and heartbreak that come with it. The book is rich with real-world illustrations of key development concepts.” —Ed Taylor, University of California, Davis

“I know of no other book like this one. It tells stories of the author’s experiences growing up on a dairy farm in New York, as a Peace Corps volunteer, assisting with a tribal farm in the US northern plains, and working as an agricultural economist around the world. It weaves these stories, beautifully, with the hard lessons of the economic and institutional changes needed to give poor people hope for a better life. Professor Norton does not romanticize poor people, nor does he idealize the insights of agricultural scientists or policy makers, but shows how farmers themselves, scientists, and others can make important contributions to the process of sustainable economic development.” —Paul Heisey, US Department of Agriculture

“Hunger and Hope is highly readable, stimulating, and told in first-person style by a professional who has earned the respect of the development community for his scholarship and commitment. Complex agricultural development problems are explained in ways that both lay and professional reader can understand, with sensitivity to cultural foundations and the reality of impoverished families. Parallels are drawn with the author’s own farm experience early in life, bringing new understanding to the processes of development, and insight into topics that are too frequently overlooked or treated in more superficial ways. The book provides valuable insights to government officials, students, and other citizens who seek a better understanding of their government’s role in international development, or who are concerned about the work of their church group or their favorite nonprofit organization in addressing global hunger issues. This book reminds us that there is no panacea for the challenges of feeding a hungry world, and that patience and in-depth work with very diverse farming conditions is required.” —Brady Deaton, University of Missouri

Prologue: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Farm

THE STORIES: Part I — Of Rice and Women
1. Poverty Is Personal
2. Fertility Fears
3. Hunger Hurts
4. Feeling Sick
5. Fragile Fields
6. It Takes a Farm
7. Trading Places

THE STORIES: Part II — Winning the World Food Fight
8. Building Bridges
9. Seeds of Hope
10. It Takes a School
11. Policy Pitfalls
12. Going Global, Buying Local
13. Cultural Clues
14. Avoiding Violence
15. Doing Well by Giving Goods
16. Finding Hope