The paper refers to World Bank support of the agricultural sector. It emphasizes that the aim is to redefine the respective roles which the public and the private sectors should play in agriculture. Contrary to the opinion voiced by critics, this question is not addressed with ideological rigidity: instead, the aim is to try to help the agricultural sector to function more effectively. The emphasis is no efficiency, no on mass privatization of all operations in the agricultural sector. Maximum efforts must also be directed toward structural change in such areas as marketing, agro-industry and tax policy, and policy loans from multilateral financing agencies might prove very useful in this respect. References made to national experiences in Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela were useful to illustrate adjustment policies. A number of noteworthy points raised during the discussion are also presented. (MIBA)