Agricultural Research in an Era of Adjustment

Draws on economic theory, developing country case studies, and lessons learned by OECD nations to examine the relationship between structural adjustment and agricultural research. Structural adjustment programs have been undertaken in many developing countries in an effort to overcome economic instability arising from commodity price shocks, domestic economic mismanagement, and diminishing access to international capital. Such programs take many forms and it is thus difficult to...
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Draws on economic theory, developing country case studies, and lessons learned by OECD nations to examine the relationship between structural adjustment and agricultural research. Structural adjustment programs have been undertaken in many developing countries in an effort to overcome economic instability arising from commodity price shocks, domestic economic mismanagement, and diminishing access to international capital. Such programs take many forms and it is thus difficult to generalize about them, but they have had a profound effect on the economic environment in which agricultural production and consumption occur. This also affects the operation and performance of public sectorinstitutions, including national agricultural research systems. This study examines the complex linkages between structural adjustment and agricultural research. It draws on macroeconomic theory to discuss the relationships between adjustment, policy reform, and institutional hange. The report also focuses on country case studies of East Africa, Burkina Faso, Chile, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, and Sri Lanka to examine the successes and failures of adjustment programs in relation to agricultural growth rates. The role of the international community, including the World Bank, and experiences of OECD nations in this arena are reviewed.