Agriculture and the Macroeconomy in Latin America during the Nineties

After several decades of substantial state intervention in the economy, and an inward-oriented development strategy, several countries in the LAC region engaged in trade reform, market liberalization, and structural adjustment policies. The degree, extension, and deepness of reform efforts varied widely across countries however. We distinguish here a group of six countries, “the early reformers”, which started earlier structural reform, implemented more drastic and deep changes, and have persisted for a longer time in these efforts. This group includes Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, and Peru. It provides a useful benchmark for analyzing the final impact of structural reforms on the economy in general and on agriculture in particular.