Regional Rural Transformation Pathways: A Spatial–Temporal Comparison of Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, and Pakistan

Pengfei Shi, Dong Wang (), David Shearer, Abedullah, Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Chunlai Chen, Jikun Huang (), Abid Hussian, Nunung Nuryartono and Tahlim Sudaryanto
Additional contact information
Pengfei Shi: China Centre for Agricultural Policy (CCAP), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Dong Wang: Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Canberra 0200, Australia
David Shearer: Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra 0200, Australia
Abedullah: School of Social Sciences, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Mohammad Jahangir Alam: Department of Agribusiness and Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
Chunlai Chen: Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Canberra 0200, Australia
Jikun Huang: China Centre for Agricultural Policy (CCAP), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Abid Hussian: Social Sciences Research Institute (SSRI), Pakistan Agricultural Research Council-National Agricultural Research Center, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Nunung Nuryartono: Faculty of Economics and Management, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
Tahlim Sudaryanto: Indonesia Agricultural Researcher Alliance (APPERTANI), Jakarta 10110, Indonesia

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: This paper examines the historical evolution and pathways of rural transformation (RT) at the regional level in four Asian countries—Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, and Pakistan. We conduct a comparative spatial analysis of regional level changes in high-value agricultural production (HVAP) and non-farm rural employment (NFRE). Using long-run data and bivariate mapping, we trace how rural economies have evolved over the past four decades and identify multiple transformation pathways. The results reveal both common upward trends and stark regional contrasts. China demonstrates the most rapid and synergic rise, integrating agricultural upgrading with widespread non-farm rural expansion. Bangladesh and Indonesia show more diverse trajectories, shaped by migration, urbanization, and agro-industrial linkages. Pakistan’s transformation is slower and more fragmented, marked by strong progress in some regions but persistent lags in others. The findings underscore that RT is not linear and can follow diverse pathways—synergic, HVAP-driven, NFRE-driven, remittance-based, or stagnant—depending on geography, natural endowments, policy, and local resource endowments. Our research highlights the need for regionally tailored strategies that link agricultural upgrading with rural labor diversification, strengthen rural–urban connectivity, and ensure that lagging regions are not left further behind.

Keywords: rural transformation; high-value agriculture; non-farm employment; Bangladesh; China; Indonesia; Pakistan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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