This publication is an outcome of the Global Agro-Industries Forum. It has evolved through contributions from scholars and development practitioners aimed at highlighting the current status and future course of agro-industries and bringing further attention to the valuable contribution that the agro-industrial sector can make to international development. FAO, UNIDO and IFAD expect that the materials presented here will help advance the knowledge and enrich the debate on the role of agro-industries in generating employment, creating income, and fighting poverty in the developing world.