This paper looks at the often conflicting changes, frequently shaped by foreign institutions, that have affected policies for agricultural development in most Sub-Saharan African countries since the 1960s. Reviewing past and present paradigms, Delgado contends that none of the strategies, including today's, has provided a "magic bullet" for solving Africa's development problems. He argues that a new resolve by Africans to solve their own problems and a new willingness of international entities to invest heavily in African institutions hold the greatest hope for future development planning.