ABSTRACT
In order to place the humid tropical land reserves of Latin America in perspective with regard to their potential role in overall development of the region, it is necessary to have an idea of the productive potential of the resources and of the general development policies in recent decades, the problems in their implementation, and the relative importance they assign to tropical lands. These matters will be taken up in this chapter, as well as the sociopolitical and institutional factors that guide development policy in the agricultural sectors of the tropical countries. In addition the ways in which the agricultural sector affects economic development and employment in these countries will be examined.
