Suchergebnisse

India has one of the largest and most complex agricultural research systems in the world, with more than a century of organized application of science to agriculture. A proactive policy by the government toward agricultural research and education (R&E) coupled with support from a number of bilateral and multilateral donors, has produced an institutionally diverse research system that has achieved many successes, most notably the Green Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s. The country is not only self-sufficient in food but also commands a strong position in world markets for some commodities. Many studies have empirically shown the impressive performance of the system, with annual rates of return to investment in research ranging from 35 to 155 percent (Evenson, Pray, and Rosegrant 1999). Notwithstanding these achievements, the system must now address a more complex and expanding research agenda of sustaining natural resources, enhancing product quality, and ensuring food safety, in addition to increasing household food and nutritional security and reducing poverty. These new challenges require a rematching of needs with resources, and a reorientation of R&E policy. ; PR ; IFPRI1; Pro-poor science and technology policies; Public Policy and Investment ; ISNAR

The ability of commercial imput to serve farmers depends on the effective exchange of information between firms and consumers. Insufficient information may leave farmers exposed to inappropriate products and can limit firms' ability to respond to farmers needs. Theses issues are examined through a study of seed practices in eastern Rajasthan, where farmers increasingly utilize commercial pearl millet seed. (DSE/DÜI)

Policy-making processes in developing countries often continue to operate devoid of evidence. In this study, we explore the research-policy linkages between the agroeconomic research system (AERS) and the agricultural policy system (APS) in India. Specifically, we examine questions directed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare in the two houses of the national parliament—the House of the People (Lok Sabha) and the Council of States (Rajya Sabha)—and filter them for key issues that confront the APS. In addition, using the list of research articles published in two major national agricultural economics journals, we examine the alignment of the AERS toward addressing pressing policy issues. We use 6,465 questions raised by elected representatives in the parliamentary houses and 377 research articles, both during the period 2014–2018. We use machine learning techniques for information retrieval because the required information is hidden as non-numerical text. Using tag clouds (lists of words by frequency), we identify key divergences between the concerns of the APS and the research focus of the AERS, and explore their linkages. To broaden our understanding, we employ latent Dirichlet allocation, a natural language processing technique that identifies crucial issues and automates their classification under appropriate clusters, to examine synergies between the research and policy systems. Results show remarkable alignment between the AERS and the APS, invalidating the two-communities hypothesis. We identify persistent issues in the policy domain that require the support of the research system, as well as potential areas for research system realignment. ; Non-PR ; IFPRI1; CRP2; DCA; 1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; Capacity Strengthening ; DGO; PIM ; CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM)

Unless more effective ways can be found to deliver high-yielding seed to farmers in developing countries, the hoped-for "green revolution" in maize production will remain elusive. This comprehensive reference examines the spectrum of technical, economic, and institutional issues that will have to be resolved if maize seed industries are to succeed in reaching greater numbers of those farmers. Ten thematic chapters are followed by nine case studies illustrating the range of developmental paths taken by national maize seed industries—and indicating which institutional arrangements appear to be most effective at fostering rapid and equitable growth in maize production