World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development

The World Bank launched last Friday its annual flagship publication, the World Development Report (WDR). Its title this year: Agriculture for Development.

In the words of the World Bank President Robert Zoellick:  

A dynamic agriculture for development agenda can benefit the estimated 900 million rural people in the developing world who live on less than $1 a day, most of whom are engaged in agriculture. We need to give agriculture more prominence across the board. At the global level, countries must deliver on vital reforms such as cutting distorting subsidies and opening markets, while civil society groups, especially farmer organizations, need more say in setting the agricultural agenda.

The full report can be downloaded for free. You can also buy a hardcopy.

The very comprehensive WDR08 website also includes a slideshow, policy briefs, graphs and figures, and video and audio presentations.