In the past year investors in industrialized countries have learned that events on the other side of the world can trigger turmoil in financial markets. As the earth becomes more interconnected, the growth of industrialized economies is tied increasingly to the prosperity of developing countries.
Certainly growth is more likely in countries that can provide enough food for their people.
For example, in the past 20 years countries that have experienced rapid agricultural growth also experienced strong economic growth. A thriving agricultural system is also important because agriculture represents such a large portion of the economy. In developing countries, more than half of the labor force is employed in agriculture. Imagine a small village in a developing country. At first farmers are barely producing enough to meet their needs.