This book contains a series of essays based on public lectures delivered by six agricultural economists during the 1986-1987 academic year at Western Michigan University. Some of the main issues and problems addressed in the essays are the role of technical change in agricultural development, the value of learning from historical and comparative experience in tackling rural and agricultural development problems, the role of foreign assistance in agricultural and rural development, and the current problem of hunger in Africa. The following essays are included: "Technical Change and Agricultural Development" (Vernon W. Ruttan); "The Political Economy of Agricultural and Rural Development" (Bruce F. Johnston); "Foreign Assistance and Agricultural Development: Implications of the Past 25 Years for Policy Conditionality, Capacity Building and Sustainability" (Uma Lele); "United States Agriculture in the Global Context" (John W. Mellor); "Foreign Assistance and American Agriculture" (C. Peter Timmer); and "Ending African Hunger: Six Challenges for Scientists, Policymakers and Politicians" (Carl K. Eicher). (MN)