Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi

This general paper suggests that the scope of a country's food and nutrition policy should embrace three related objectives: (1) the design and implementation of an agricultural strategy that achieves an appropriate rate and pattern of expansion of food and other farm products; (2) action to bring nutritional objectives to bear in influencing the combination of foods produced and the processing techniques employed; and (3) the identification and implementation of supplementary programmes of nutrition intervention aimed directly at certain important welfare objectives, such as overcoming nutritional deficiencies that may be common among some segments of the under-five age group. Principal emphasis is given in this, paper to the first objective. It is argued that an agricultural strategy that brings about the progressive modernisation of a large and increasing fraction of a country's farm households is fundamental to the success of efforts to promote overall economic growth and structural transformation as well as achieving the social goals of employment creation, better income distribution, and improvements in nutrition and health.