This chapter presents an overview of: public and private sector agricultural research; private funding of research by farmers; public-private collaboration in conducting research and development; and public research reform in an era of privatization.

This book synthesizes contemporary experiences with changing public and private sector roles in funding and executing agricultural research, with emphasis on developing countries. The book consists of 15 chapters organized into four distinct parts. Part I provides a brief overview of the current...

This chapter first examines the evolution of the agricultural research system in Uruguay, focusing on the creation, structure and human resources of the National Agricultural Research Institute (INIA). It then describes the farmer-government cofinancing of INIA research.

This chapter provides an economic rationale for public-private cooperation (PPC) in research in terms of potential benefits, risks and costs. Conditions conducive to PPC and obstacles to successful PPC are outlined. The chapter then reviews experiences of PPC in the Netherlands with special...

This chapter describes the innovation system that generated zero tillage (ZT) technology in Argentina, based on a review of relevant literature and semistructured interviews with 21 key informants in Argentina and 43 informants in Brazil, Paraguay, Mexico, and the UK. The chapter reviews the...

This chapter explains the difficulties encountered in developing more extensive and intimate patterns of public-private sector interaction in the Indian agricultural research system, and draws implications for reform. An innovation systems framework is used to explore this problem from a wider...

This chapter examines: the factors influencing private and public sector investment in plant breeding in industrial countries; the levels of investment in plant breeding and on-farm varietal use; the forces driving the privatization of plant breeding in industrial countries; the future roles for...

This chapter questions the continued need for public plant breeding programmes in developing countries and discusses their future role. The following factors driving the changes taking place in the plant breeding industry are identified: the commercialization of agriculture; the privatization of...

This chapter reviews the available evidence on trends in private agricultural research in developing countries. It then uses economic logic and the available evidence to examine the determinants of benefits from and costs of research. The chapter concludes that private research in developing...

This chapter outlines the current Australian rural research and development (R&D) funding system, and examines its key features. The levy system that supports the network of research and development corporations is then considered in detail. Recent trends in research funding are discussed, and...