Changing locus of agricultural research: will the poor benefit from biotechnology and privatization trends?

In the last decade, agricultural R&D has shifted from the public to the private, multinational sector, sparking concern about possible implications for farmers and the poor in developing countries. Changes in intellectual property protection, a rapid pace of discovery in molecular biology and ge...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Food policy 2002-06, Vol.27 (3), p.223-238
Main Authors: Pingali, P.L., Traxler, G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural research
Agricultural technology
Biotechnology
Crops
Developing countries
Genetic engineering
Policy studies
Poverty reduction
Private sector
Privatization
Public sector
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Summary:In the last decade, agricultural R&D has shifted from the public to the private, multinational sector, sparking concern about possible implications for farmers and the poor in developing countries. Changes in intellectual property protection, a rapid pace of discovery in molecular biology and genetic engineering, and more openness in agricultural trade are driving the shift. With few economic incentives to work on marginal, subsistence-oriented production systems, the private sector tends to target transgenic crops. While new agricultural technologies could have enormous benefits to poor farmers, high transaction costs and low profit margins hinder technology transfer to this sector. Only effective public-private partnerships will help these technologies to reach marginal producers and orphan crops.
ISSN:0306-9192
1873-5657
DOI:10.1016/S0306-9192(02)00012-X