In focusing on those countries, which by 1870 still had a large agricultural sector, namely, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Greece and Turkey, this book determines the role of the agricultural sector in the economic development of Europe.

Whilst many books on the European economy have focused on the analysis of its industrial sectors, this book draws attention to the often ignored contribution made by the development of European agriculture over the past two centuries. In doing so, the authors adopt a revisionist perspective on the subject, addressing the lack of coherent study of the agricultural sector and reassessing old theories about the links between agricultural and economic development.In focusing on those countries, which by 1870 still had a large agricultural sector, namely, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Greece and Turkey, this book determines the role of the agricultural sector in the economic development of Europe. These chapters demonstrate how the rate of development in the agricultural sector depended on specific industrial, political and market conditions; the diversity of ways and timings through which transformation was achieved is also considered.

Contents, Introduction, "Pedro Lains and Vicente Pinilla", PART I -- The Context, Chapter 1. Conceptual issues for the comparative study of agricultural development, "Alan Olmstead and Paul Rhode", Chapter 2. Europe and the international trade in agricultural and food products, 1870-2000, "Gema Aparicio, Vicente Pinilla and Raul Serrano," Chapter 3. Agriculture and structural change: lessons from the UK experience in an international context, "Steve Broadberry", PART II -- Country Studies, Chapter 4. Technological change, institutional development and economic growth in Dutch agriculture, 1870-1939, "Jan-Pieter Smits", Chapter 5. The contribution of agriculture to economic growth in Denmark, 1870-1939, "Ingrid Henriksen", Chapter 6. Swedish agriculture in economic development, 1870-1939," Lennart Schon". Chapter 7. Agriculture and economic development in Germany, 1870-1939, "Oliver Grant", Chapter 8. Agriculture and economic development in France, 1870-1939, "Nadine Vivier", Chapter 9, Agriculture and economic development in Italy, 1870-1939, "Giovanni Federico", Chapter 10. Local comparative advantage: agriculture and economic development in Poland, 1870-1970, "Nikolaus Wolf", Chapter 11. Agricultural development and impeded growth: the case of Hungary 1870--1973, "Michael Kopsidis", Chapter 12. The contribution of agriculture to Spanish economic development, 1870-1973, "Ernesto Clar and Vicente Pinilla", Chapter 13. Agriculture, institutional change and economic development in Portugal, 1870-1973, "Pedro Lains," Chapter 14. Agriculture and economic development in Greece, 1870-1973, "Socrates Petmezas", Chapter 15. Agriculture and economic development in Turkey, 1870-2000, "Sevket Pamuk "