The aims of the Workshop were to review the role of agricultural policy in rural development and rural development policies on agricultural performance through country experiences. The key issues that the Workshop was invited to consider were: • Agricultural policies: given that agricultural policies are sector-specific, how far can agriculture and agricultural policies contribute to the economic performance of rural areas? To what extent are governments adapting agricultural policies to target rural development objectives? • Rural development policies: given that rural development policies are multisectoral and territorial, to what extent can such policies contribute to the economic performance of rural areas and, in particular, of agriculture? To what extent are governments adapting rural development policies to target the use of resources – especially land and labour – in agriculture