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December 15, 2004
Assessing and Attributing the
Benefits from Varietal Improvement Research in Brazil
IFPRI Research Report 136
by Philip G. Pardey, Julian M. Alston, Connie Chan-Kang,
Eduardo C. Magalhaes, and Stephen A.Vosti
ABOUT THIS REPORT
This report provides a detailed
economic assessment of the magnitude and sources of the economic
benefits to Brazil since the early 1980s from varietal
improvements in upland rice, edible beans, and soybeans. The
authors pay particular attention to isolating the benefits from
genetic improvement, which they distinguish from other factors
that change grain yield or quality. They use detailed
information on the genetic and breeding histories of each crop
and the institutional arrangements for crop-improvement research
in Brazil to estimate the benefits attributable to the research
done by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
(Embrapa) and by other Brazilian agencies. They capture
international spill-in effects as well. The authors also provide
more general insight into the importance of addressing
attribution questions in evaluating public research investments,
develop some methods for doing so, and illustrate how to apply
them.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Philip G. Pardey is a
professor of science and technology in the Department of Applied
Economics and is director of the International Science and
Technology Practice (InSTePP) center at the University of
Minnesota. He was previously a senior research fellow at IFPRI,
where he led a program on science and technology policy.
Julian M. Alston is a
professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource
Economics at the University ofCalifornia, Davis. He is also
associate director for science and technology policy at the
University of California Agricultural Issues Center.
Connie Chan-Kang was a
research analyst in IFPRI’s Environment and Production
Technology Division at the time of contributing to this study.
She recently became a research associate at the University of
Minnesota’s Department of Applied Economics.
Eduardo C. Magalhaes was
a research assistant in IFPRI’s Environment and Production
Technology Division at the time of contributing to this study.
He is now pursuing graduate studies in economic development at
theUniversity of Glasgow, Scotland.
Stephen A. Vosti is an
assistant adjunct professor of agricultural and resource
economics and co-director of the Center for Natural Resources
Policy Analysis at the University of California, Davis. He is
also a senior fellow at the University of Bonn’s Center for
Development Research (ZEF).
DOWNLOAD from IFPRI website
The abstract and report are
available for download in PDF format as an entire document or by
chapter.
- Full Report
- Table of Contents, List of
Tables, List of Figures, Foreword, Acknowledgments, and
Summary
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Market and
Research Contexts
- Chapter 3: Economic
Evaluation of Varietal Change
- Chapter 4: Evaluation
Elements: Data Details, Results, and Interpretation
- Chapter 5: Conclusion
- Appendices
- References
- Report Covers
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