The State and Nontraditional Agricultural Exports in Latin America: Results and Lessons of Three Case Studies

Date
Sep 2000
This report presents the results of case studies on nontraditional agricultural exports in Petrolina-Juazeiro (northeastern Brazil), Ecuador, and Guatemala, analyzing the role of public policy in developing these products and the effects of nontraditional agriculture on the rural poor. The studies showed that the State played a central role in developing nontraditional export crops. This included an array of economic and sectorial policies in support of market functioning and private sector development, as well as active and strategic intervention aimed at solving specific problems. This working paper was prepared for the Conference on Development of the Rural Economy and Poverty Reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean to be held in New Orleans on March 24, 2000, at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank.