Various elements seem to be interrelated in the development process of a society or a system, among those agriculture has a prominent role to play as it holds some key functions: The most basic one is the production of food and raw materials for its (society or a system) own consumption, for the non-agricultural population, and for the developing industry. The increase in agricultural productivity sets the whole development process into motion. At the start, the increase of soil productivity is of the greatest importance, but soon, it must be followed by growing labour productivity to increase the incomes of agricultural labour and free manpower for the secondary and tertiary sectors. The high population increase in many countries, for some time, makes it imperative for agriculture to absorb the surplus population for which there is no other alternative, but sooner or later, the other sectors will develop and draw on the human resources in agriculture. This process is related with the transformation of subsistence agriculture into market-integrated agriculture, which not only sells its products, but requires non-agricultural goods and services. With this process, agriculture fulfills its third function, the creation of demand for non-agricultural goods which is a precondition for the expansion of the secondary and tertiary sectors. On the one hand, this demand meets the requirements of market-integrated agriculture, such as fertilizer, machinery and tools, etc., on the other hand, an increase in farmer’s income results in a demand for consumption goods on the part of the rural population. It may be added that, in some countries, agriculture has the tasks of contributing towards improving the situation of the balance of payments by providing export goods or substitution for imports. Likewise, in recent times, the function of preservation, careful handling and protection of environment has been gaining importance.

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