AGRICULTURAL AND FUOD MARKETING IN SOCIa-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTROD:.!~TION

INTROD:.!~TION This is a short co-paper to supplement the statement prepared and distributed by Dr. Lorenzl. He has done an excellent job of summarizing the dynamic role of market system organization in the development process and has identified a relevant set of deficiencies or problems that are generally present in most developing countries. His observations regardi~g the relative lack of technical assistance on marketing problems serves as a reminder that many decision maker's in development ass"istance agencies and in the gavernments of the less developed countries hold somewhat different views on the role of marketing in socia-economic development. Furthermore, the priorities emerging from the recent World Food and Nutrition Study ~y the U. S. National J/ reflects a similar lack of emphasis on socia-economic Acadomy of Sciences research, including ITICJTket"ing. The so-ca.ned "TiUe 12" U. S. UniveY'sity-AID program also appears to be heavily oriented towards agricultural production expansion with initial priorities focused on increasing output of selected crops and livestock. I would also observe that the World Bank policy state2/ ments on rura'i developrl1ent-" and the Bank's program Clctiv-jties reflect a rather limited concept of the role of market-lng institutions in integrated l'ural development. All of this reinforces what I assume to be a major question that is an underlying motivation for this conference -What can we do to increase professional and political decision makers' understanding of the potential role of market system organization in national development?