Preface 



This volume is a summary of our work on the economics of agri- 

 cultural research and technological change. We have concen- 

 trated mainly on measurements and estimations in an interna- 

 tional context. Most of the substantive material presented is 

 derived from studies undertaken at different time periods and 

 from different perspectives. We have found it to be an impossible 

 task to synthesize these studies completely into a single consis- 

 tent framework. 



Chapter 1 presents a survey of aggregate food production data 

 for regions of the world in the past twenty-five years. A review of 

 prior studies of factor productivity and of the contribution of 

 research activity is undertaken and a brief discussion of the 

 socioeconomic consequences of rapid technological change is 

 offered. Chapter 2 surveys data that we have gathered on invest- 

 ment in research and extension activities internationally. Until 

 this material was assembled, it was not possible to make a realistic 

 appraisal of the distribution of resources devoted to technological 

 discovery and diffusion throughout the world. These data have, of 

 course, been important in our further work. The chapter also in- 

 cludes an analysis of the determinants of investment in research 

 and of researcher productivity. 



Chapter 3 is devoted to a case study of sugarcane varietal im- 

 provement. We have found the experience in sugarcane develop- 

 ment to be a source of insight into particular aspects of interna- 

 tional diffusion of agricultural technology. The "prototype" 

 aspects of the discovery of improved sugarcane varieties are em- 

 phasized. 



Chapters 4 and 5 report our basic empirical studies of interna- 

 tional agricultural productivity determination. Chapter 4 focuses 



