Structural Transformation of the Agricultural Sector: A Primer

Abstract

In developing countries, structural transformation started much later, mostly in the 1900s. The structural transformation of the agricultural sector has been characterized by the relative decline of basic agriculture; the rising importance of agribusiness, which includes the value added for agro-related industries and for agricultural trade and distribution services; as well as the growing share of high-value agricultural products in international trade with respect to traditional exports. Agricultural structural transformation has been shaped by three interrelated processes: improvements in productivity; change in composition in production; and change in mode of commercialization.

Keywords: Food Security, International Trade and Trade Rules, Climate Change and Agriculture, Crops and Crop Management Systems, Common Carriers Industry, Food & Beverage Industry, Plastics & Rubber Industry, Agribusiness, Textiles, Apparel & Leather Industry, Pulp & Paper Industry, Business Cycles and Stabilization Policies, Agricultural Economics, Trade and Agriculture, Agricultural Trade