The basic objective of agricultural research at ICARDA is to enhance pro ducer and consumer welfare through increasing the productivity, stability, and profitability of agriculture. Improved practices must be technically, ec onomically, and socially suitable to farmer conditions. The rainfed areas of West Asia and North Africa have highly variable environmental conditions as well as complex social and economic structures. In recent years, the region has been experiencing major changes in the relative availabilities and costs of the classical factors of production: land, labor, and capital. These changes have important implications for the design of new agricultural technology. On the one hand, the availability of labor may be an important factor determining the acceptability of new technology. On the other, it is important to consider the impact that technology can have on rural employment. To develop a better awareness of these issues and their relevance to technology development, ICARD A initiated a project on Agricultural Labor and Tech nological Change. The first stage of the project is published here; it is a review of available literature on selected issues of regional importance, com bined with more detailed analyses of the situations of eight countries with important rainfed agricultural sectors. ICARDA greatly appreciates the financial assistance of the Ford Foun dation, which allowed us to support the execution of the study and publi cation of its findings. We also appreciate the great efforts of the authors in the face of often limited data and facilities.

The basic objective of agricultural research at ICARDA is to enhance producer and consumer welfare through increasing the productivity, stability, and profitability of agriculture. Improved practices must be technically, economi cally, and socially suitable to farmer conditions. The rainfed areas of West Asia and North Africa have highly variable environmental conditions as well as complex social and economic structures. In recent years, the region has been experiencing major changes in the relative availabilities and costs of the classical factors of production: land, labor and capital. These changes have important implications for the design of new agricultural technology. On the one hand, the availability of labor may be an important factor determining the acceptability of new technology. On the other, it is important to consider the impact that technology can have on rural employment. To develop a better awareness ofthese issues and their relevance to technology development, ICARDA initiated a project on Agricultural Labor and Tech nological Change (ALTC). The first stage of the project was a review of existing information' on these issues; this review was published as a book under the title Labor and Rainfed Agriculture in West Asia and North Africa.

The basic objective of agricultural research at ICARDA is to enhance producer and consumer welfare through increasing the productivity, stability, and profitability of agriculture. Improved practices must be technically, economi cally, and socially suitable to farmer conditions. The rainfed areas of West Asia and North Africa have highly variable environmental conditions as well as complex social and economic structures. In recent years, the region has been experiencing major changes in the relative availabilities and costs of the classical factors of production: land, labor and capital. These changes have important implications for the design of new agricultural technology. On the one hand, the availability of labor may be an important factor determining the acceptability of new technology. On the other, it is important to consider the impact that technology can have on rural employment. To develop a better awareness ofthese issues and their relevance to technology development, ICARDA initiated a project on Agricultural Labor and Tech nological Change (ALTC). The first stage of the project was a review of existing information' on these issues; this review was published as a book under the title Labor and Rainfed Agriculture in West Asia and North Africa.

Tthe special character of the region; The recent growth of production in the region and its sources; The task ahead: policy issues on cereal and livestock reduction in rainfed agriculture and the role of high-elevation areas.

The basic objective of agricultural research at ICARDA is to enhance producer and consumer welfare through increasing the productivity, stability, and profitability of agriculture. Improved practices must be technically, economi cally, and socially suitable to farmer conditions. The rainfed areas of West Asia and North Africa have highly variable environmental conditions as well as complex social and economic structures. In recent years, the region has been experiencing major changes in the relative availabilities and costs of the classical factors of production: land, labor and capital. These changes have important implications for the design of new agricultural technology. On the one hand, the availability of labor may be an important factor determining the acceptability of new technology. On the other, it is important to consider the impact that technology can have on rural employment. To develop a better awareness ofthese issues and their relevance to technology development, ICARDA initiated a project on Agricultural Labor and Tech nological Change (ALTC). The first stage of the project was a review of existing information' on these issues; this review was published as a book under the title Labor and Rainfed Agriculture in West Asia and North Africa.

This volume covers the Middle-Eastern and North African regions who are increasingly dependent on imports from abroad for covering their domestic food needs. Results of this study show that this import dependence is likely to increase further by 2050. Some sub-regions hardly reach sustainable levels; the Maghreb, Near and Middle-East could import 60 to 70% of their food needs. These results are indicative whatever the considered scenario, but especially if climate change impacts become more severe.