9

qualitative information that can be obtained through interviews with informed

local business leaders and professionals. Looking back at some of these

studies and the recommendations which were subsequently carried out, several

concerns can be identified. First, there has been a tendency towards

unrealistic optimism regarding the transferability of technologies from the

more highly developed to the less developed countries. The analyses have

tended to endorse capital-intensive technologies in situations where labor-

capital costs are such that more labor-intensive technologies would be more

appropriate (10). Secondly, the feasibility type studies have sometimes

misjudged the compatibility of new capital-intensive infrastructure with

existing patterns of production, distribution and consumption. As a

result, there have been examples of serious underutilization of the new

facilities (e.g. grain storage) (11). Third, the lack of a trained labor

force and a local capacity for the continued development of both skilled

labor and management ability is either underplayed in the reports or not

taken seriously by those responsible for local project implementation.

Because of the problems mentioned above, there is a growing demand for

better preparation of professionals who conduct feasibility type studies.

This is reflected in the increased interests in short-term training programs

on project development and evaluation such as those offered by the World

Bank, and similar offerings by USAID, universities and private consulting

firms.


Broader Diagnostic Assessments

 Broader diagnostic assessments of food system organization in developing

countries have provided inputs to policy and program development and to an

evolving conceptual and analytical framework for future research and develop-

ment efforts. Several groups of U.S. university researchers have carried out