This book, edited by Tony Killick, consists of papers presented at a seminar sponsored jointly by the IMF and the Overseas Development Institute, held in London, England, to discuss the problems facing the developing world in a global environment of high inflation rates and large payments imbalances.

By examining and comparing agricultural policies in India, Indonesia, China, and Vietnam, this study helps fill a significant gap in development research. The report provides an assessment of conceptual and measurement issues related to the effects of trade and domestic-support policies and policy reforms on the incentives of agricultural producers and presents empirical estimates of the degree of protection or disprotection in the four countries. From India's countercyclical policy outcomes and Indonesia's high levels of agricultural protection, to the trend toward modest support of agriculture in China and Vietnam, the report's results demonstrate both how changes in agricultural policy can improve farmers' incentives as economic growth occurs and how difficult it is to reform entrenched policy interventions. Through such findings, the report contributes to policy discussions on creating propoor policies related to agricultural support and trade, both at the domestic level and in international negotiations.

This volume, edited by Mohsin S. Khan, Peter J. Montiel, and Nadeem U. Haque, examines recent IMF-developed empirical macroeconomic models dealing with adjustment and stabilization policies in developing countries. Some models are relevant for specific countries, and others relate to groups of developing countries.