The adjustment to harsher international economic conditions in the 1980's, along with the consequences of suboptimal macroeconomic and development policies, led to a painful period of adjustment in the region. However, world and regional depressed economic conditions, also affected agricultural growth, which, although above average economic growth for LAC countries as a whole in the 1980's, was clearly below the growth rates achieved in previous decades. By mid-nineties, LAC's economy and its agricultural sector began to benefit from a more supportive international environment and improved policies at the national level in the region. It highlights the important increase in fruits and vegetables, and oilseeds, which helped maintain a positive trade balance in the region, in spite of the historic deficits in cereals and dairy products. The paper concludes that, while during the period of inward-oriented industrialization, LAC's agriculture was discriminated, and during the recent period of excess capacity, it was mostly neglected, these policy mistakes must be avoided for the sector to be able to play its key role in food production, poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability.
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