Abstract: | The authors summarize the conditions that led to the development of national research institutes in Latin America and to the creation of the international centres of agricultural research. The authors review the modernization process of the agricultural sector and the role played by public and international organizations in the appearance of non-public research. The authors discuss the impact of these institutional developments on the effectiveness of national research institutes, and the implications for agricultural science, technology policy, and the organization of agricultural research in the Third World. |