Two grand themes have long dominated the debate over the role of the state in a society’s economic affairs: how to stimulate rapid economic growth and how to reduce the level or consequences of poverty. This volume attempts to grapple with some social, political, and economic dynamics that are not easily included in economists’ growth models without becoming lost in either vague generalities or a unique vision of the path to utopia. The emphasis is on the contribution of agricultural development to growth of the entire economy and to the alleviation of poverty. Achieving these objectives normally requires implementation of multiple policy instruments, and the various sections focus on several: price and trade policy, generation of employment, rural development programs, and food aid.
