In Agriculture on the Road to Industrialization, John Mellor brings together a distinguished group of contributors to examine the lessons drawn from those less-developed countries whose success in agricultural development accelerated growth of other sectors, with favorable effects on overall growth, employment, income distribution, and dispersal of urbanization.

The framework for discussion includes three components: increased incomes resulting from growth in the agricultural sector; the expenditure of that increased income; and the consequent expansion of other sectors of the economy.

The volume includes eight case studies. Thailand serves as an example of success due to the expansion in land area given over to agriculture, while Taiwan, Punjab (India), and the Philippines represent contrasting cases based on technological change. Kenya, Costa Rica, and Colombia show how acceleration results from the changed composition of production and resulting growth in agricultural exports.

Argentina illustrates poor growth in agriculture despite excellent agricultural resources, and the Philippines shows that good growth in agriculture requires complementary policies if the favorable effects on other sectors are to be obtained. Volume editor John Mellor provides an introduction and conclusion drawing out what can be learned from these cases.