The WB published in 1981 Accelerated Development in Sub-Saharan Africa, an Agenda for Action, advocating a new vision of development and agriculture for the African continent. The report blamed “statalist” policies that had “exploited farmers” as the causes of poverty and the failure of independent governments’ development plans, and sanctioned the end of industrialization policies for import substitution and modernization strategies that saw agriculture at the service of industry (WB 1981: p. 26).