In the 1990s, developing countries on balance made that switch, with their average nominal rate of assistance (NRA), which measures the degree to which domestic farm gate prices are above adjusted border prices, becoming positive (Figure 1.8).12 On average, they thereby joined high income OECD countries in providing protection to their agricultural sectors. Note that this measure only takes account of relative prices, and ignores subsidies to farmers or other aspects of agricultural spending. The horizontal axis of Figure 1.9 shows agriculture’s share of total employment, while the vertical axis measures the NRA.