Launching the DFIDDepartment for International Development consultation ‘New Directions for Agriculture in Reducing Poverty’, paper prepared for a DFIDDepartment for International Development e-consultation from 14 April to 28 May 2004

This ought to be straightforward – but isn’t. The conventional wisdom will no longer do. We need new thinking about the role of agriculture in developing countries.

The strongly established conventional wisdom is that agriculture is the primary motor of growth and poverty reduction in the poorest countries - specifically small farm agriculture, specifically small farm agriculture devoted to growing modern variety cereal staples, and specifically, though not always exclusively, small farm agriculture growing modern variety staples in relatively high potential and well-connected areas, with both water control options and access to markets. The evidence to support these propositions comes from farming systems analysis, production function calculations, growth decomposition, and partial and general equilibrium analysis at village, regional and national level................. (see link in title for full article)