There is abundance of global food stocks that reached nearly 300 million tons by late 1985. Thus pockets of plenty and scarcity coexist in different parts of the world. Ironically several countries that now face acute food scarcity are also those where the domestication of plants and animals took place long ago and are important centres of origin and diversity of crop plants. Why do such countries face difficulties on the food front? This book seeks to clarify such issues, and attempts to outline a structure for an international agricultural system based on principles of ecology, efficiency, and equity.