Summary. Among the many agricultures that have so far failed to transform themselves successfully, we find that at least one of the five conditions is not fulfilled. This finding strongly suggests that these five conditions are jointly necessary. However, it is still possible that the hypothesis is not universally applicable. If future research identifies an agriculture that has been successfully transformed but has not met one or more of the five conditions, then the sphere of applicability of this hypothesis must be redefined. A striking feature of this hypothesis is how unsurprising any of these conditions is. Indeed, many development practitioners have even called them “obvious.” What is not so obvious is why so many governments have not been able to create and maintain these “obvious” conditions for decades.