Foreword

Changing patterns of food consumption and expenditures, together with advances in international logistics and the reduction of official barriers, have contributed to a rapid expansion in world trade in high-value food products (HVF), such as fresh and processed fruits and vegetable, meats, and fish, dairy products, and vegetable oils. This growing trade, set against the stagnation or decline in world trade and prices for many beverage and industrial crops, is leading policymakers and donor agencies to more clousely examine the scope for developing and formerly centrally-planned countries to expand or diversity their exports in these products, as well as the needed investments and policies to bring about the expanded production and trade.

This study was initiated in order to gain a better understanding of the particular technical, organizational, and commercial challenges faced in HVF export development and to draw lessons from successful country experiences in this area. The study provides a synthesis of fifteen notable 'success stories ' of HVF exports among developing countries, analyzing common and idiosyncratic patterns of development, bases for competitiveness, market conditions, and institutional features.

The study is part of broader analytical efforts conducted by AGR, aiming to define the proper roles for the public and private sectors in agricultural development, to understand the functioning of private agricultural markets, and to identify 'best practices' regarding agricultural policies and technologies. It is also part of a broader effort by EMTAG to develop a strategy to support food market development and export diversification among the countries of Eastern Europe and the Near East.