ABSTRACT
In 1955 the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) marketing group had just moved out of the Commodities Division. This division undertook commodity outlook reviews; it also serviced international study groups interested in stabilizing commodity prices on world markets. The marketing group was moved to the Economic Analysis Division which had a major programme in price policies. Marketing advisers had to adapt to a wide range of countries and conditions. In the early 1960s, the marketing implications of some FAO activities were not recognized, or not seen as needing attention. The contribution of the marketing group was in assessing the viability of the processing enterprise. Marketing was transferred to the Rural Institutions Division, to be a ‘service’ together with credit and cooperatives, alongside agricultural education and extension, and land reform. Marketing had little voice because in most FAO member countries it had no professional constituency seeking representation.
