The contributions in this publication are an outcome of growing concerns around the world about the prevailing inefficiencies in agriculture and agribusiness and the need to improve productivity, profitability, and financial sustainability of agriculture and agribusiness by privatizing state- owned enterprises and eliminating unnecessary government regulations. It is in this context that an international symposium was organized on April 19-30, 1993, to address these policy concerns and thereby to improve the long-term prospects for productive and financially sustainable agriculture and agribusiness development. The policy issues addressed herein were identified in a series of discussions at IFDC and with the authors. The main objectives were to focus on analytical policy issues that accelerate the process of privatization and market deregulation of publicly owned and operated enterprises and to provide necessary operational guidelines for policy reforms. This publication is structured around four main topics: (1) the role of agribusiness in economic development; (2) possible approaches and guidelines for privatization and deregulation of agribusiness; (3)the necessary enabling policy environment for privatization and deregulation; and (4) selected case studies. The views expressed in this publication belong solely to the respective authors and should not be attributed to IFDC, World Bank, or other organizations represented. Readers should keep in mind that when authors refer to `current' or `present' situations, they generally mean 1992/93 unless otherwise specified.

Agribusiness development has been constrained by distorted economic policies and institutional controls in the emerging market economies and in most of the developing countries. In the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, the agribusiness complex was dominated by state-owned enter prises. In many of the developing countries, economic policies discriminated against agriculture and agribusiness. The results have been obvious. Despite major technological advances, agriculture and agribusiness sectors in these economies remained inefficient. A large share of the population, particu larly in the rural areas, has not been able to improve household incomes and living standards. The final decade of the 20th century will certainly be recorded as one of the most dynamic in modem history. The restructuring of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and market reforms in many of the developing countries are progressing at a rapid pace. Agribusiness is key to economic perfor mance in these areas in that agriculture is an important sector in many of these economies. Economic transition to a market economy is presenting many challenges and opportunities to accelerate the process of agribusiness development, which is so essential to alleviate rural poverty. An international symposium, organized by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), provided a unique opportunity to discuss needed policy reforms to promote efficient and competitive agribusiness develop ment, with a particular focus on privatization and deregulation.