In many parts of the world, increased agricultural growth will play a key role in addressing the current world food crisis, in contributing to overall economic growth, and in helping to achieve the first Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of poor and hungry people by 2015 (MDG1). The challenge of meeting MDG1 under the current circumstances is considerable, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).Of the means used to promote agricultural growth, sound government spending can be one of the most direct and effective. This brief presents ranges of estimates of the costs involved using two different approaches. (excerpt from the document)