Why do urban biases persist?

Pro-agricultural policies have had a large and continuing impact on pro-poor growth. Yet over the last three decades, policy support for agriculture has declined for the majority of underdeveloped countries. This paper studies the causes and manifestations of this 'urban' bias both in domestic pricingpolicies and government expenditures, and in international trade and foreign aid regimes. It provides a synthesis of existing research updated with novel analysis and explains the effective neglect of pro-agricultural policies in the context of the currently dominant development paradigms. The authors conclude that urban biases remain highly topical, and a persistent and paramount obstacle to sustained growth and poverty reduction.