The State and the Farmer

Originally published in 1987, this book is written primarily for planners, public administrators and project managers in countries or international agencies considering a development strategy in which agribusiness and rural enterprise projects are viewed as a desirable policy instrument for generating employment and income. It makes available the background and methodology of project analysis so that agribusiness and rural enterprise project can be designed, implemented and reviewed effectively in a wide range of circumstances. It outlines how to establish objectively the potential and limitations of agribusiness and rural enterprise projects; provides guidelines for deciding whether a project can be effective; considers the policy issues relating to such projects and suggests techniques for judging project performance.

1. Agriculture and the State 2. Farmers United 3. The Quest for Stability 4. Marketing Monopolies 5. The Birth in the Cupboard 6. Partnership in the Field 7. The Workers’ Place in the Sun 8. Gentlemen, Limited 9. The Politics of Agriculture 10. Agriculture and the Public Interest. Appendix: A: Government Support to Agriculture (1959-60) B: Supervision and Dispossession C: Landlords’ Control of Tenants D: The Farmers’ Vote E: Note on Sources.

Peter Self was a journalist, academic and planning policy-maker. Herbert J. Storing was Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, USA.