| Abstract: | Recent declines in public agricultural research funding in developing countries may not be as severe or as universal as widely perceived, although some research systems are clearly constrained. An analysis of the economic characteristics of agricultural research suggests that there may be some crowding-out of private finance, but the harnessing of additional private resources depends critically on enhancing the profitability and appropriability of research benefits, while the case for increasing levels of public funding on research with greater public good characteristics remains strong. However, the justifiable scrutiny of the state's role in financing agricultural research should not be at the expense of continued efforts to improve the efficiency of agricultural research delivery and the management of existing funds. |
