International Development: Systemic Change Over Time

Sustained economic growth is both cause and consequence of many different changes in society. This chapter introduces how a country’s national income and total expenditure relates to other aspects of social and economic development. We begin by introducing the role of capital accumulation, as public and private investment drives a growing stock of physical and technological resources as well as education and health. We then trace four main shifts associated with these developments over time: a demographic transition in population growth and longevity; a structural transformation of the economy towards urbanization and fewer farmers with more land per farmer; a food system transformation to more input use and more animal source foods; and a nutrition transition in dietary patterns including more packaged food and meals away from home. Each community, country and region experience these transitions in different ways and at different times, creating opportunities for people to guide the pace and direction of change through their own private and public choices.