Author : Hayami, Yujiro; Godo, Yoshihisa

Summary : The disequilibrium of world agriculture has been worsening as manifested by increasing food deficit in developing economies in contrast with increasing surplus in developed economies. Underlying this disequilibrium are policies determined by the three different agricultural problems confronted by countries depending on their different development stages. "Agricultural problem" is defined here as the problem of an overriding concern to policymakers with respect to designing and implementing policies for agriculture as part of policies to promote national economies in their own countries. As such, it may well be called the "basic problem in determining agricultural policies".