This book is the product of a global research project of the World Bank aimed at understanding the evolution and impacts of policy interventions affecting the agricultural sector in developing countries. It contains detailed case studies of eight Latin American countries and is part of a series that also covers Asia and Africa. This work usefully complements the estimates of market distortions provided for developed countries by the OECD and provides a good springboard for comparison of agricultural sector incentives in developed and developing countries.

The eight countries account for nearly 80% of Latin America's agricultural output. For each country the book traces the evolution of agricultural and macroeconomic policy interventions over the last four decades. The core element of the book is a systematic empirical study that provides quantitative indicators of past and present policy interventions in each country using a common methodolgy for estimation of agricultural incentives. A lucid and accessible explanation of the methodology used is one of the most useful features of the book. Compilation of comparable and consistent annual time series of protection and taxation in the agricultural sector is a key contribution.

Latin American countries have seen major policy shifts over the last four decades, and the empirical work in this book provides a strong evidence-base for assessing the successes/failures of changing policy interventions. It also provides insight into the political economy of policy interventions in developing countries and can inform assessments of prospects of continuing reform in different countries. The book is likely to be an indispensable reference work for researcher as well as the policy maker, providing a template for future studies.