Abstract

The story of agriculture in Eastern Europe during the last quarter century is a story of policy driven by politics, rather than by sound economics. Even in the highly distorted economics of the socialist period, agricultural policy stands out as being singularly colored by ideological imperatives, and singularly vulnerable to interest group pressures. While the revolutions of 1989-91 did mark a sharp move towards liberalization, these moves are now being slowed and even reversed, as countries of the region adopt Western style interventionism on preparation for accession to the European Union.