High-yielding varieties (HYVs)also known as modern varieties (MVs) of wheat and rice have spread more widely, more quickly, than any other), technological innovation in the history of agriculture in the developing countries (DCs). First introduced in the mid-1960s, they occupied about half of the total wheat and rice area in the DCs by 1982-83. Their area has increased since that time and will undoubtedly continue to grow in the future. The purpose of this paper is to give a brief idea of how all this came about, document the spread of the HYVs, and outline what remains to be done. The Varietal Improvement Process Varietal improvement of food crops through systematic breeding is a relatively new process in most developing nations. Colonial powers emphasized research on export crops rather than food crops for domestic consumption. Relatively few improved varieties of wheat and rice were developed or introduced from other nations prior to the 1950s. Thereafter the pace of research began to increase. The Rockefeller Foundation became particularly active in encouraging varietal improvement programs, first in Latin America, and then in other developing nations.
Establishing priorities for R&D in the public sector is a complex and sometimes bumpy procedure. The juxtaposition of the political and scientific worlds can leave substantial gaps in perceptions. These may be spanned by 'boundary' organizations, which seek to reconcile the wishes of those who provide the funding (patrons) with the opportunities offered by the scientific community (performers). While this process is usually conducted at the national or subnational level, it is increasingly needed at a more global level. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research has long bridged the line between donors and a number of research centers which seek to combine science with practice for the benefit of developing nations. The experience of this group is reviewed in the context of supply-and demand-driven research as represented, respectively, by the scientific community and users/stakeholders.Dana G Dalrymple is with the Bureau for Economic Development, Agriculture and Trade (
Global Public Goods (GPGs) are becoming increasingly important in international development, but little attention has been given to their role in science and technology. Yet one clear example-also overlooked in most of the GPG literature-has existed for 35 years: the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Agricultural research in the poorer developing nations is largely conducted in the public sector and the CGIAR was formed to develop, with these nations, improved technologies and policies for their use in food production-international research spillovers. The process has worked well: the CGIAR has, perhaps unwittingly, been a leading provider of GPGs. But public funding for the CGIAR from international development agencies has become tighter and more restricted, threatening to weaken its global scientific capacity. Additional and more research-oriented funding sources are needed. Greater understanding of the GPG concept as it applies to research, both public and private, is needed at the policy level if these efforts are to be realised and endure. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This chapter provides some notions and information that could help stimulate a more widespread awareness of social science knowledge as a public good. It starts from the point of view of economics and then moves to some other components of the social sciences. The characteristics of public social science research, the funding and prioritization of public social science research, and some implications for social research at the CGIAR, are discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.