The paper examines the effect of differing policies in the post-independence period on the agricultural and overall economic performance of Zambia and Zimbabwe. It focuses on the interaction between macroeconomic and agricultural policy reforms. It shows that macro and micro reforms need to be closely linked and that both are critical to sectoral performance. The paper identifies a number of reform options and examines their sequencing at the national and agricultural level. Such reform will greatly improve the performance of the Zambian and Zimbabwean agricultural sectors, enhancing food security, employment and economic growth ...