| Abstract: | There are very few examples where nutritional objectives have made an effective contribution to planning agricultural research for developing countries. The complex nature of nutrition and the limitations of formal planning procedures help explain the failure. But most commentators ignore the personal, political and ideological factors that seriously limit the effectiveness of nutrition as a parameter for research planning. Three cases are discussed where nutrition has played a role in setting agricultural research directions, without evident nutritional impact. Conclusions are proposed for making agricultural research planning more relevant to nutritional concerns. |
