Sector Studies

Republic of Liberia, Ministry of Agriculture, Comprehensive Assessment of the Agriculture Sector, Volume I - Synthesis Report
This report has been prepared and financed jointly by the Government of Liberia (GoL), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The Synthesis Report provides a valuable source of information, data and analysis to assist stakeholders in the revitalization of the agricultural sector. The report is presented in two volumes – the first is a Synthesis Report and the second volume contains various sub-sector studies and cross-cutting issues.


Towards and Indian Common Market: Removal of restrictions on internal trade in agriculture commodities
The current study has been undertaken by FAO at the request of the National Commission on Farmers through Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture to study the possibilities of emergence of a farmer centric Indian common market catering to both over a billion consumers within the country and consumers abroad. The technical project has been initiated to study the possibilities of removal of unnecessary restrictions on the movement of agriculture products both within and between States in India and measures that could be taken for better market integration. In this process at the request of the National Commission on Farmers, the FAO studied the European Union market integration experience, and looked into the legislative, political and economic measures taken during the process. The European experience is described not as much to establish any direct applicability but to understand the political processes and the economic measures that led to adoption of a common and eventually a single market in that region...


Technical Report on farming Systems of the Syrian Arab Republic by Horst Wattenbach - March 2006
This is the first national farming systems study in Syria undertaken by the National Agricultural Policy Centre in support of its policy analysis work. The study provides an analytical framework to consider the geographical differential as well as the socio-economic stratification of the agricultural sector of Syria. It defines relatively homogeneous areas of agricultural production, based on appropriate agro-ecological and socio-economic characteristics. The study considers the potential impacts of changes in agricultural policy (e.g. prices, institutional support) at the household as well as aggregate level.


Trends and challenges in agriculture, forestry and fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean (available also in Spanish)
The growing interdependence of national economic processes, as revealed in business cycles of global compass, and the effects of fluctuations in international capital flows on the profitability of productive activities, growth and the possibilities for financing development in Latin American and Caribbean countries, also condition progress in the rural domain, and affect the potential for making progress toward poverty reduction and improved food security in the region. The FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean has prepared this document to support the deliberations of the FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, in its search for responses to these challenges.


Comparative Advantages of selected Syrian agro-food commodity chains: implications for policy formulation, prepared under project GCP/SYR/006/ITA, Rome, Italy, 2004.
The assessment of the comparative advantages of a given productive system encompasses a broad range of conceptual works emanating from cost-benefit analysis and the theory of international trade. The basic concept is that an economic activity in a given country has a comparative advantage as far as it can compete with alternative source of supply through import without benefiting from any specific support from the rest of the economy under the form of transfer of resources. The comparative advantage of productive systems is measured through the computation of several accounting entities and ratios that have been gradually developed through applied research. In the eighties these different methods have been consolidated into one method named the Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM), three lines by three columns table containing all the different accounting values and derived ratios needed for the analysis of the comparative advantage. This analytical framework has been widely used to assist in decision making to monitor trade liberalization process in European, South-East Asian and Sub-Saharan countries from the eighties onward.


Agricultural Development Policies in the Near East: situation, Issues, Institutional Requirements and Approaches (Proceedings). Rome, Italy, 2004 (available also in Arabic).
A Regional Workshop on Institution Building for Agricultural Policies in the Near East was organized jointly by FAO and the Syrian National Agricultural Policy Center (NAPC) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform with the support of the Italian funded project GCP/SYR/006/ITA on 6 and 7 December 2003 in Damascus. Discussions focused on the need to share experiences and to develop an institutional capability for food and agricultural policies at the country level, identifying synergies and complementarities with regional and international cooperation endeavours. This document presents the outcome of the Workshop discussions and the papers prepared for it. These cover the current situation, issues and prospects of food and agricultural policies in the Near East Region; a review of the literature and of the experience with institutional requirements and approaches for policy analysis, including capacity development; and, lastly, the case of the NAPC is reported in detail, as a concrete illustration of institution building and capacity development. It is hoped that the issues raised and recommendations made will be followed up in the framework of the newly established Near East and North Africa Network for Agricultural Policies (NENARNAP).


Syrian agriculture at the crossroads, prepared under project GCP/SYR/006/ITA, Policy Assistance Division, FAO Agricultural Policy and Economic Series No. 8. Rome, Italy, 2003 (available also in Arabic).
This book presents a set of investigations which depict and analyse the main features of the agricultural sector and economic policies in a country faced with the opportunities and challenges associated with the transition towards a more market-oriented and internationally integrated economy. Headlines from many places around the world witness day after day how critical such a process can be, and the widespread gap of serious information in this respect.


The potential extension of the Customs union Between Turkey and the EU, FAO Agricultural Policy and Economic Development Series No. 5. Rome, Italy, 1999.
This study investigates alternative options for future agricultural policies in Turkey in the context of its agricultural trade relations with the EU. The main findings are that liberalization of agricultural markets would lead to considerable welfare gains for Turkey compared with a situation in which the current policy is maintained. This report is published in order to share this experience with a wider public interested in agricultural policy issues; it presents a spectrum of agricultural policy options to policy makers and may serve as background material for similar studies.


Food security strategies - The Asian experience, by C. Timmer, FAO Agricultural Policy and Economic Development Series No 3. Rome, Italy, 1997 (available also in French and Spanish).
World food security and the struggle against hunger are some of the most important priorities that have been repeatedly emphasized by the international community. More recently, the Heads of State and Government gathered at the World Food Summit organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations, reaffirming their commitment and determination to achieve food security for all and in the context of an on-going effort to eradicate hunger in all countries, with an immediate view to reducing the number of undernourished people to half their present level no later than 2015. However, experience has shown that there is not an easy way to escape from chronic hunger and the constant threat of famine. Therefore, additional efforts are needed to understand the factors that cause widespread hunger and vulnerability to famines, and to design appropriate measures conducive towards creating an enabling environment for private and group initiatives to devote their skills and resources towards the common goal of food for all. With the objective of contributing to this effort, we are pleased to share with you an important analysis that Professor C. Timmer developed in his paper "Food Security Strategies: The Asian Experience". In fact, in this paper, Professor Timmer reviews the recent literature on food systems and economic development and underlines their limitations. Simultaneously, he analyses the Asian approach to food security and concludes that, the lesson from East and Southeast Asia for achieving and maintaining food security can be summed up in this way: a growth process stimulated by a dynamic rural economy leads to rapid poverty alleviation, which, in the context of public action to stabilize food prices, ensures food security.


Eastern and Southern Africa: Expert Workshop on Post-Liberalisation Cereal Commodity Markets, Proceedings of an Experts Workshop, Kampala, Uganda, 19 to 30 May 1997 edited by M. Kamanyire, A. Ngororano, and M. Maetz. Rome, Italy, 1997.
Liberalisation of cereal markets has been one of the most significant events that have taken place during the last 15 years in Eastern and Southern Africa. This major change, which is part of stabilisation and structural adjustment packages applied in most countries of the sub-region, has had considerable impact on the situation prevailing in the agriculture and food sectors. Late 1996, the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) of the Makerere University in Kampala, and the Policy Assistance Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) decided to organise an Expert Workshop on Post-liberalisation Cereal Commodity Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa with the objective of strengthening the capacity of countries in the sub-region in the identification, analysis, formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of food and agriculture policies. The workshop was also to facilitate exchange of experience with the policy cycle in selected countries with special reference to liberalisation of cereal commodity markets, and promote Technical Co-operation among Developing Countries. FAO provided funding of the workshop through its Regular Programme.


Agricultural and rural development policy in Latin America - New directions and new challenges, FAO Agricultural Policy and Economic Development Series No. 2. Rome, Italy, 1997 (available also in French and Spanish).
In accordance with the widely adopted market-oriented economic principles, most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have progressed in the process of deregulation, privatization and external opening of their economies. Along with the rest of the economy, regional policies have progressively emphasized the role of market forces in agriculture as the main mechanisms for resource allocation. This process implies a redefinition of the role of the public sector in agriculture. As shown by the region's recent experience, radical changes in strategy involve the risk of falling from one extreme to another, that is, from an excessive intervention in the productive market mechanisms to an excessive absence of the public sector. These issues gain relevance in the context of the generally moderate performance of regional agriculture production in recent years. Among the various factors behind such trends, what has been the role of the new policy strategies? More specifically, do farmers overall, or at least a large number of them, risk being the great losers of free-market reform? Although this much debated question can only be answered in the longer term, the issue has immediate implications for policy-makers. The present study analyses the significance of this new economic context for the design of policies for the agricultural sector. In addition, it analyses and assesses recent trends in agricultural development policy in Latin America, to identify and synthesize new policy directions, and to highlight emerging challenges and avenues for policy innovation. The main conclusion of the study is that Latin American agricultural and rural development policy is at a turning point that will require bold new initiatives to improve the production performance of agriculture, reduce rural poverty, protect the natural resource base of the sector and ensure the political sustainability of economic growth. This will require a pro-active set of interventions designed at restoring the specificity of sectorial agricultural policy while maintaining consistency with the macro reforms.

RESOURCES AND TRAINING MATERIALS

Política de desarrollo agrícola - Conceptos y principios, por Roger D. Norton, Colección FAO Capacitación en políticas agrícolas y alimentarias (CAFAP) No. 2, Rome, Italy, 2004 (available in English as FAO-Wiley co-publication, forthcoming in French).
Política de desarrollo agrícola: conceptos y experiencias ha sido concebida como parte de las actividades de la FAO destinadas a generar contextos de política favorables a la agricultura, tanto globales (en el marco de reglamentaciones y acuerdos internacionales), como nacionales (mediante estrategias e instrumentos bien diseñados). Esta publicación: menciona experiencias de política y estudios aplicados en 80 países; examina los fundamentos conceptuales de las políticas; ilustra los casos de políticas que han funcionado adecuadamente y los casos de políticas que no han tenido éxito, y ofrece una explicación causal de ambos; resume centenares de referencias de la literatura sobre políticas de desarrollo agrícola; proporciona orientaciones a los analistas y a los responsables de las políticas, tanto a través de ejemplos reales como de marcos conceptuales. Los principales temas tratados incluyen el papel de la agricultura en el desarrollo económico; los objetivos y los instrumentos de la política agrícola; las vinculaciones entre la política macroeconómica y políticas sectoriales; las políticas relacionadas con los precios agrícolas; el papel de los gobiernos en el desarrollo agrícola; los aspectos de género; las políticas de lucha contra la pobreza; las políticas de tenencia de la tierra y de ordenación de aguas; las políticas financieras; las políticas de investigación y extensión agrícola; las estrategias de desarrollo agrícola, y asuntos relativos al desarrollo rural. Esta publicación podrá ser útil como material para cursos académicos, programas de capacitación y actividades de autocapacitación en desarrollo económico y agrícola; podrá servir para el diseño de políticas económicas y agrícolas y de gestión de recursos naturales, y para facilitar la comprensión de diversos otros temas agrícolas especializados. Podrá servir también como material de consulta para los responsables de la adopción de políticas agrícolas y rurales, y para los profesionales e investigadores interesados en los temas mencionados.


Southland - A case study-based training exercise in policy analysis for the agricultural and rural sector, by TCAS, Capacity Development in Food and Agriculture Policies Series (CAFAP) No.1 Rome, Italy, 2003 (available in French, forthcoming in Spanish).
The "Southland Case Study" is designed to provide an opportunity to a group of participants in a course on agricultural policy to mobilise their knowledge and skills on a fictitious country simulating many of the problems faced by developing countries. Based on realistic information on the country, presented in a set of documents collected from various sources and on a set of statistical tables, participants are asked to prepare a note outlining the key policy and institutional issues faced by the country and make proposals on how they can be addressed. This assignment is to constitute a key input into a stakeholder consultation workshop that will discuss the agricultural chapter of the PRSP for Southland. The case study, developed in the early nineties, has evolved as the history of the fictitious "Southland" unfolded, following patterns similar to those of many developing countries. The material presented includes a note for trainers, terms of reference of the work to be done by course participants, a background note on the current situation of the country, a series of notes presenting the country, extracts from various survey results and studies conducted in the country, household budgets, a description of the main institutions of Southland and a material on the history of the country since its independence. Lastly, a glossary of economic and institutional terminology is also presented to facilitate the work of case study users.


Reform and Decentralization of Agricultural Services: A Policy Framework, by Lawrence D. Smith, FAO Agricultural Policy and Economic Series No. 7. Rome, Italy, 2003 (available also in French and Spanish).
The Sourcebook provides a methodological framework for decisions concerning decentralization of agricultural services through deconcentration of the public administration, delegation to public or private agencies, devolution, partnerships with civil society organizations or privatization. These different forms of decentralization are presented as options to be considered according to the policy objectives pursued. The use of the methodological framework is illustrated through examples drawn from actual country experiences. Although focussed on the analytical process of determining the production and allocative efficiency of the various options, the Sourcebook also covers the political dimensions that impinge on the desirability and feasibility of decentralization, both at the level of individual organizations and of the government reform process.


Regional integration and food security in developing countries, by Alan Matthews, Training Materials for Agricultural Planning 45 (TMAP 45). Rome, Italy, 2003 (available in Spanish).
Regional trade arrangements are increasingly important elements of the global trade environment. However, especially when developing countries are concerned, there are differing viewpoint on the desirability and the efficient design of regional integration. This document reviews the regional integration debate for those involved in the preparation of food security strategies as part of programmes for developing countries. The document is aimed at providing a better understanding of the motivation, processes and constraints to regional integration and cooperation, and at identifying the potential role of these arrangements in promoting food security. It directly addresses issues such as the impact of regional integration on food security in developing countries and how these regional groupings might contribute to promoting food security; how poverty and hunger can be alleviated by regional integration; and the possible opportunities for regional integration to promote food security.


Environment in Decentralized Development - Economic and Institutional Issues, by Vito Cistulli, Training Materials for Agricultural Planning 44. (TMAP 44). Rome, Italy, 2002.
This publication presents an overview of the concepts and definitions of environment and sustainable development, showing the importance of environment and natural resources for the economies of developing countries. It provides basic knowledge and analytical tools related to environment-economy interactions and how these should be taken into account in decision-making at decentralized, or subnational, level. It reviews the role of government and the instruments at its disposal, in addition to regulatory instruments, to create a context in which environmental issues are analysed and addressed.


WinDASI User manual, prepared by the Agricultural Policy Support Service, Training Material for Agricultural Planning 43, (TMAP 43). Rome, Italy, 2000 (available also in French and Spanish).
This publication consists of a CD containing the WinDASI software and its manual. The manual includes instructions on how to install and operate the software as well as four step-by-step exercises to help the user practise. WinDASI performs financial and economic analyses of agricultural and rural activities in a multi-period context. It provides a framework to organise input - output data, unit prices and investment by activity and time period. It allows flexible aggregations of different activities and performs most of the calculations required in benefit-cost analysis. It computes: total inputs and outputs in physical terms, flows of costs and benefits, incremental flows of costs and benefits, present values and net present values, internal rates of return, switching values, cost benefit ratios and sensitivity tests. WinDASI is particularly suitable for investment project analysis. In addition, in cases of multi-period activities such as perennial crops or livestock, WinDASI could also be used to perform analyses of farming systems, commodity chains and build Policy Analysis Matrices.


Agro-industrial policy reviews. Methodological guidelines, prepared by the Agricultural Policy Support Service, Training Material for Agricultural Planning 42 (TMAP 42). Rome, Italy, 1998.
This manual has been prepared as part of a series of training materials for use in programmes of capacity-building in policy formulation and analysis. The main purpose of these guidelines is to clarify and make explicit the logical process and the analytical techniques used in analysing and assessing the impact of government macroeconomic and sectoral policies and programmes on the development and performance of the agro-industrial sector policies and programmes on the development and performance of the agro-industrial sector. This entails identifying and making a distinction between policies encouraging an efficient use of resources and furthering social objectives, and policies that may be retarding the development process. It is expected that agro-industrial policy reviews can enhance the sector's contribution to development goals by identifying existing constraints and distortions and suggesting ways in which policy instruments might be reformed or refined to make them more effective.


The Implications of the Uruguay round agreement on agriculture for developing countries, by R. Pearce, S. Healy, M. Stockbridge, Training Material for Agricultural Planning 41 (TMAP 41), Rome, Italy, 1999. (available in French and Spanish)
This Manual has been prepared as part of a series of training materials for use in programmes of capacity-building in policy formulation and analysis. Its aim is to explain the content of the Agreement on Agriculture and the main functions of the World Trade Organisation and to help agricultural policy analysts in developing countries assess the economic and administrative implications of the Agreement on Agriculture. In particular, the manual is meant to contribute to the formulation of WTO-compatible agricultural domestic and trade policies in investigating new trade opportunities and improving the understanding of the impact of the Agreement on a country's food security.


Implications of economic policy for food security - A training manual, by A. Thomson, and M. Metz, prepared for the Agricultural Policy Support Service, Policy Assistance Division, FAO and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Training Materials for Agricultural Planning 40 (TMAP 40). Rome, Italy, 1999 (available also in French and Spanish).
This manual aims at improving the capacity of policy analysts to understand the problems related to food security, and in particular the concept of food security defined as availability, stability and access to food by each human being. The food system, with its mechanism governing the production and transformation of food, is studied with a view to understand the causes of food insecurity. Then, the manual shows how international, macro, and agricultural sector policies affect the food system, and how national and international policies, which could improve food security, can be identified.


Guidelines for the integration of sustainable agriculture and rural development into agricultural policies, FAO Agricultural Policy and Economic Development Series No. 4. Rome, Italy, 1997 (available also in French and Spanish)
This report presents guidelines for the integration of Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) concepts into agricultural policies. These guidelines can be used by FAO and its Member countries for guiding the work of practitioners who have a leading or technical contribution role in the design, formulation and assessment of policies in the agricultural and rural sector (agriculture being understood as encompassing fisheries, forestry, and where relevant up- and down-stream activities). These guidelines are meant to orient the work of experienced professionals with a general or technically specialized competence, towards adopting and promoting at each relevant step of the identification of issues, design and formulation of policies and of their impact assessment, the appropriate attitude, process, and analytical and methodological approaches, conducive to an effective incorporation of the SARD concept in agricultural policies.


Macroeconomía y políticas agrícolas: una guía metodológica, por el Servicio de Apoyo para Políticas Agrarias, Materiales de capacitación para la planificación agrícola 39 (TMAP 39), Roma, Italia, 1995.
Esta publicación pretende guiar el estudio de los vínculos entre la política económica y la política agrícola, así como de los componentes de esta última, en particular, las políticas de precios, crédito y comercialización. Asimismo, se examinan aspectos relacionados con el neoinstitucionalismo económico y con el papel que desempeñan las instituciones en el desarrollo rural, lo mismo que las funciones del mercado y del Estado en las nuevas estrategias de crecimiento sectorial. Finalmente, se ofrecen al lector criterios y pautas para la elaboración de estudios sectoriales agrícolas orientados a la identificación de problemas y potencialidades y a la definición de políticas agrícolas. El texto está organizado en forma de lecciones, a los efectos de facitlitar su utilización en cursos académicos y de especialización. También podrá ser utilizado como instrumento de autocapacitación.


Sustainability issues in agricultural and rural development policies, edited by F. Pétry, Training materials for agricultural planning 38/1 and 38/2. Rome, Italy, 1995.
Sustainability issues in agricultural and rural development policies is a training package to be used by agricultural economists and environmentalists in preparing training sessions on sustainability and environmental concerns for agricultural policy analysts and planners. Volume 1, to be distributed to trainees, includes basic concepts, readings, exercises, glossary and bibliography. Volume 2, to be used by the trainer, includes suggestions on the main messages to be communicated, best references, proposes transparencies to prepare for lectures and solution sets for exercises. The package is conceived as a flexible resource from which to build up training sessions lasting from one day to about two weeks, according to the needs of the audience and availability of time.


District planning: Lessons from India, by Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, India, Training Material for Agricultural Planning 37 (TMAP 37/1). Rome, Italy, 1995.
The Planning Guide is a set of simple and self-contained guidelines for planning that can be used (if necessary) without prior training. It is intended to provide district functionaries with concepts and simple tools of analysis for the preparation of district plans according to the existing planning procedures and processes of consultation with the panchayat bodies. The Trainers' Guide is meant to help trainers plan and run courses on district planning using the Planning Guide as the main text.


Analyse de filière: Application à l'analyse d'une filière d'exportation de coton par Bockel, Fabre et Manssouri, Documents de formation pour la planification agricole 36 (TMAP 36). Rome, Italy, 1994.
Ce document traite de diverses applications à l'analyse d'une filière d'exportation de coton. Il se présente sous la forme d'une série d'exercices qui amèneront progressivement les utilisateurs à une bonne maîtrise des diverses formes de calcul économique considérées: analyse financière, analyse des effets aux prix de marché et analyse aux prix de référence.


Note de méthodologie générale sur l'analyse de filière, Documents de formation pour la planification agricole 35 (TMAP 35). Rome, Italy, 1994.
Ce document traite de la méthodologie générale des principales applications de l'analyse de filière pour l'élaboration et la réflexion sur les politiques de développement. Sa progression pédagogique devrait permettre aux lecteurs de comprendre les principaux aspects pratiques et les principes sous-tendant les diverses formes de calcul économique considérées: analyse finacière, analyse des effets aux prix de marché et analyse aux prix de référence.


Guidelines on Social Analysis for Rural Area Development Planning, by Diane Conyers, Training Material for Agricultural Planning 34 (TMAP 34). Rome, Italy, 1993.
This publication provides guidelines for use by trainers and practitioners on the social aspect of agricultural and general rural development planning at the district level. Its aim is to demonstrate to those involved in such planning the importance of social issues, the relationship between social and other aspects of planning, and the nature and scope of social analysis methods.


Trainers' Guide: Concepts, Principles, and Methods of Training with Special Reference to Agricultural Development, Training Service, Policy Analysis Division, FAO, Training Materials for Agricultural Planning 33 1/2 (TMAP 33 1/2). Rome, Italy, 1993 (available also in French and Spanish).
The Guide is meant to be used in a number of ways: i) as resource material for conducting training courses for trainers; ii) as a source of reference or guide on training principles and methods; iii) as a source of independent learning and study for those interested in acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge for conducting training courses. It is divided into two volumes. Volume I introduces learning and adult learning theories and covers the training cycle at some length. Volume II contains readings associated with the training materials in Volume I and an extensive annotated bibliography.


L'approche gestion des terroirs, ouvrage collectif, ouvrage collectif basé sur une consultation d'experts FAO-Six-S, sur le thème "Microréalisations dans l'approche gestion des terroirs", documents de formation pour la planification agricole 32 (TMAP 32), Rome, Italie, 1993.
Cette publication passe en revue une douzaine d'expériences de gestion de terroirs décrites dans des études de cas qui montrent que l'approche 'gestion de terroirs' est une approche décentralisée, participative et multisectorielle. Elle se fonde sur des constats acquis parmi les opérateurs: les usagers des ressources naturelles sont les mieux placés pour les gérer' il y a complémentarité entre procédés modernes et procédés traditionnels; le terroir est un espace géographique variable, á la fois un espace naturel détermine par ses caractéristiques agro écologiques et á la fois un 'espace socialisé' où une ou plusieurs populations y projettent leurs droits d'occupation et leurs disciplines d'usage; la concertation est fondamentale entre populations et cadres pour l'analyse de la situation et pour la définition des interventions ainsi que pour les 'contrats' entre communautés et administration. Le texte s'adresse aux praticiens, aux formateurs, aux cadres de gouvernements et autres agents concernés par le développement local.


Agricultural Price policy: Government and the Market, Training Service, Policy Analysis Division, FAO, Training Material for Agricultural Planning 31 (TMAP 31), Rome, Italy, 1992.
This publication provides a general presentation on the functioning of markets and government institutions in view of the analysis of agricultural policies. In the first part, after a review of the market mechanism, the causes of the market failure and the reasons for Government intervention are discussed as well as the factors behind policy failures and dangers of government intervention. The second part presents the Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) and reviews the most important policy interventions. The last part deals with the role and efficiency of Government, institutions and organizations in the agricultural sector. The publication is intended to be used as primary supporting text in price policy courses.


Economic analysis of agricultural policies: a basic training manual with special reference to price analysis, by the Harvard Institute for International Development, Training Materials for Agricultural Planning 30 (TMAP 30). Rome, Italy, 1991 (available also in French).
Governments use policy instruments in order to influence economic resource allocations, such as the level of crop production, the distribution of income, the earning and expenditure of foreign exchange, and the demand for goods and services. While some of these objectives can be influenced directly by government expenditure, administrative action and legal restrictions, policies which influence price levels and the change in relative prices also have powerful effects on the way individuals, families, and firms utilize resources. This manual utilizes a supply/demand, market framework for pricing policies. It has eight modules on: baseline policy description; demand and supply projections from the baseline; policy impact on agricultural price structures; policy transfers, economic efficiency and the role of world prices; policy design; the policy analysis matrix; the role of macroeconomics in agricultural price formation; agricultural sector analysis.


Training for decentralized planning - Lessons from experience, edited by M. Maetz and M.G. Quieti, Training Materials for Agricultural Planning 29 (TMAP 29). Rome, Italy, 1987.
This paper, accompanied by selected illustrative case studies, reviews a number of decentralization experiences with the training programmes that were elaborated to prepare planners to the expected new tasks. The review has been made with the help of a framework which is also proposed as a tool to analyse decentralization for trainers facing the task of designing in-service training programmes. A number of issues for consideration are highlighted which should be of interest to professional trainers from academic/training institutions, decentralization policies, regional institutions and international agencies working in support of decentralization and training.


Programmation et préparation de petites opérations de développement rural, documents de formation pour la planification agricole 28 (TMAP 28), Rome, Italy, 1992.
Ce Guide émane de l'expérience du Service de la formation de la Division de l'analyse des politiques dans plusieurs pays africains. Des programmes de perfectionnement et recyclage des cadres ont eu lieu en appui à des processus de décentralisation de la planification par le biais de petites opérations de développement rural caractérisées par l'engagement des populations à leur identification, préparation et gestion. Le Guide contient deux parties. Dans la première, nous traitons des principes de base relatifs aux microréalisations et à leur programmation. Dans la deuxième, nous analysons les principales étapes de la préparation d'une microréalisation. Les deux parties du Guide regroupent chacune un certain nombre de parties que nous avons appelées "unités". Pour chacune de unités, nous avons formulé un objectif et des sous-objectifs. Ces objectifs et ces sous-objectifs décrivent les compétences minimales que le lecteur devrait posséder pour préparer une microréalisation.


Rural Area Development Planning: Principles approaches and tools of economic analysis, edited by Avrom Bendavid-Val, Training Material for Agricultural Planning 27 1/2. (TMAP 27 1/2). Rome, Italy, 1991.
These two volumes examine the economic dynamics at wok, or potentially at work, among farm households and towns in rural areas, and point out some implications for analysis and planning to accelerate economic development in such areas. They also provide a catalogue of tools for analysing rural area economies and for identifying and assessing strategic groups of projects from an economic development perspective. For each tool the catalogue provides a description, the principal analytical question addressed, the basic steps involved and an assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. The catalogue is useful for trainers and decision-makers, who can select and adapt tools for use in their own contexts.


Environment and Sustainability Issues in Agricultural Policy Analysis and Planning - Proceedings of a Training of Trainers Seminar, Nicosia, Cyprus, 8-19 May 1995.
These proceedings include papers by the main external lecturers - M. Ahmed, C. Apostolides, V. Cistulli, G. Edwards-Jones, G. Georghiou, T. Panayotou and M.G. Quieti - and by a number of participants (from Cyprus, Pakistan and Sudan). Topics include environment impact assessment, economic valuation, economic instruments, water policies, and general policy issues for sustainable agriculture and rural development.

NON-SERIES PUBLICATIONS

Agricultural Development Policy - Concepts and Experiences, by Roger D. Norton, FAO/John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2004.
Agricultural Development Policy: Concepts and Experiences, prepared under the aegis of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), presents a fresh and comprehensive look at agricultural development policy. It provides a clear, systematic review of important classes of policy issues in developing countries and discusses the emerging international consensus on viable approaches to those issues. The text is unique in its coverage and depth, and it Cites policy experiences and applied studies in eighty countries. Develops the conceptual foundations for policies. Illustrates policies that have worked and those that have not, with explanations of why. Summarises hundreds of references from the literature on agricultural development policies. Provides guidance for policy makers and policy analysts through both real-world examples and conceptual frameworks. Topics covered include agriculture's role in economic development, objectives and instruments of agricultural policy, linkages between macroeconomic and agricultural policies, sectoral policies related to agricultural prices, the role of government in the sector, gender issues in agriculture, policies for the rural poor, land tenure policies, water management, agricultural financial policies, agricultural technology development and dissemination, and agricultural development strategies and rural development issues. The book is suitable for use in university courses in agricultural and economic development, international development, natural resource management, and specialised topics in agriculture, and it serves as a valuable reference tool for policy makers and other professionals and researchers in the field of international agricultural development.


Multilateral trade negotiations on agriculture: a resource manual, FAO, Rome, Italy. 2000 (available also in CD-ROM in Arabic, French and Spanish)
This Manual provides resource material to assist government officials involved in implementing the WTO Agreements of relevance to agriculture, fisheries and forestry as well as those involved in further negotiations in these sectors. Part I presents information on the background to international trade in agriculture, on the previous treatment of agricultural trade by the GATT, on the WTO dispute settlement mechanism and on environment and trade. Part II covers the UR Agreement on Agriculture and examines, from the perspective of developing countries, the implementation of the disciplines affecting agriculture and identifies issues of major concern in the next round of negotiations. Part III covers the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) : the rights and obligations of Members under these Agreements ; the work of international bodies in formulating standards relevant to trade in plants, animals, fish and food; the implications of the Agreements and the work of the international standards bodies for the structure and functioning of national agencies concerned with plant, animal and food health and safety. Part IV of the Manual covers the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), particularly those aspects which have implications for agriculture. The modules describe the rights and obligations of WTO Members and discuss the options for national legislation and institutions to implement these obligations.


Guide for training in the formulation of agricultural and rural investment projects. Rome, Italy, 1986 (available also in French and Spanish)
The formulation of agricultural and rural development projects is a complex task, covering a variety of investigative and analytical activities and requiring a wide range of skills. This Guide does not attempt to offer comprehensive treatment of the subject. What it does seek to do is to present project formulation as a logical, coherent and systematic process involving certain basic steps which should normally be followed in planning large scale, public sector investments. The emphasis is on the efficient acquisition and proper use of information to create good project designs, rather than on techniques for analysing projects which have already been designed. The Guide is intended primarily as a text to accompany training courses in project formulation. It can be read at three levels of detail, depending on the depth of guidance required. Thus, each of the five volumes corresponding to five main phases of project formulation starts with a brief overview of the purpose, approach and output of the phase concerned; this is then followed by a summary of the various steps involved in the completion of the phase; and this is then followed by a detailed account of the activities which comprise each step. Formulation of agricultural and rural investment projects: Planning tools, case studies and exercises, by Agricultural Policy Support Service. Rome, Italy, 1986. The aim of this manual is to help policy analysts improve their understanding of the concept of food security and the problems related to it. Food security is defined as availability of, stability of and access to food by each human being. The food system, including the production and transformation of food, is studied with a view to understanding the causes of food insecurity. The manual then shows how international, macro-level and agricultural-sector policies affect the food system and how national and international policies that could improve food security can be identified.

Materials from in-country training activities

  Syrian National Agricultural Policy Center
The series Training Materials published by the National Agricultural Policy Center with the support of the FAO Project GCP/SYR/OO6/ITA, includes notes and handouts produced as part of the training activities carried out at the NAPC by the international experts recruited by the Project. Even though they cannot be considered as comprehensive textbooks, the NAPC decided to make these materials available for a wider public, considering them as a useful reference for the study and the practice of agricultural economics and policy analysis.