Guatemala : strengthening the agricultural sector information base and policy analysis capability

There is almost no history of apolitical or non-advocacy policy research, and current efforts are constrained by an inadequate data base, limited personnel, lack of support for non-advocacy investigations, and a general impression that objective analyses are esoteric and irrelevant. In light of Guatemala"s movement towards a more market-oriented economy, there is a clear need for strengthening the modes of objective agricultural policy analysis. This paper addresses the nature of this challenge in the context of Guatemala"s agricultural development. It examines past and present actions on agricultural policy analysis within public and private institutions and explores the decisionmaking process. Recommendations concern the following objectives: strengthening the capacity for more objective agricultural policy analysis, enhancing the information system, and establishing criteria for the development of an agricultural policy research agenda.