International and Institutional R&D Spillovers: Attribution of Benefits among Sources for Brazil's New Crop Varieties |
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| Authors: | Philip G Pardey Julian M Alston Connie Chan-Kang Eduardo C Magalhães Stephen A Vosti |
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| Institution: | Philip Pardey is professor, Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota (previously senior research fellow, the International Food Policy Research Institute, when this study was conducted). Julian Alston is professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis, and a member of the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics. Connie Chan-Kang is research associate in the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota, and Eduardo C. Magalhães is a graduate student in Economic Development at Glasgow University (both formerly at the International Food Policy Research Institute). Stephen Vosti is research associate, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis. |
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| Abstract: | Reported rates of return to agricultural R&D are generally high, but they are likely to be biased, particularly because of attribution problems—mismatching research benefits with costs. The importance of attribution biases is illustrated here with new evidence for Brazil. During 1981–2003, varietal improvements in upland rice, edible beans, and soybeans yielded benefits of $14.8 billion in present value (1999 prices) terms. Attributing all of the benefits to Embrapa, a public research corporation accounting for more than half of Brazil's agricultural R&D spending, the benefit-cost ratio would be 78:1. Under alternative attribution rules, the ratio drops to 16:1. |
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| Keywords: | agricultural R&D attribution benefit-cost ratios Brazil |
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