The increased instability of the world since 1973 has shown how dependant agriculture was on the rest of the economy, particularly in developed market economies. The paper emphasizes the importance of macro- economic variables (disposable incomes, inflation, exchange rates, budget deficits) and of the international environment. Foreign trade has increased faster than output, exchange rates float, a huge mass of capital moves very quickly between the main financial centers. Agriculture cannot but feel the impact of all these, changes.
