AgBioForum, vol. 02, no. 1 (1999)
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This issue's title is: "Private-Public Interactions in Agrobiotechnology: Appropriate Roles and Rules of Conduct." Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the contents of this issue.
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Item Biotechnology and Agriculture : A Skeptical Perspective(AgBioForum, 1999) Ruttan, Vernon W.A combination of population and income growth will more than double the demand for food and other agricultural commodities over the next half century. Advances in crop productivity during the twentieth century have largely been based on the application of Mendelian genetics. If farmers are to respond effectively to the demands that will be placed on them over the next half century, research in molecular biology and biotechnology will have to be directed to removing the physiological constraints that are the source of present crop yield ceilings.Item Public and Private Collaboration on Plant Biotechnology in China(AgBioForum, 1999) Pray, Carl E. (Carl Esek)Public private collaboration in plant biotechnology is unusual in China because the private sector plays a very small role in the Chinese agricultural input industry. There are few public private collaborations and also some examples of collaboration between state-owned research institutes and state-owned commercial enterprises. Both types of collaborations are likely to grow in the future - particularly if the government allows private firms to play a larger role in the input industries, intellectual property rights on biotechnology are strengthened, and regulations on biotechnology are rationalized.Item Balancing basic, genetic enhancement and cultivar development research in an evolving US plant germplasm system(AgBioForum, 1999) Traxler, Greg (Gregory J.)The structure of the United States (U.S.) public-private plant genetic research system is being transformed by the emergence of practical biotechnology protocols for creating transgenic plants; and by strengthened intellectual property protection in plants. This paper draws on some simple principles of incentives and appropriability to discuss the sharing of research responsibilities between the public and private sectors.Item Public science, biotechnology, and the industrial organization of agrofood systems(AgBioForum, 1999) Wolf, Steven; Zilberman, David, 1947-Concentration in the agricultural biotechnology sector and general patterns of restructuring raise important policy questions regarding public investments in research and extension. We argue that the most valuable contributions public sector organizations can make to development lie in: 1) fostering a decentralized system of innovation; 2) constructing capacity for the differentiation of technologies, organizational forms, and consumer products; and 3) maintaining the potential for radical innovation through leadership in fundamental research.Item Exploring the public's role in agricultural biotechnology research(AgBioForum, 1999) Sonka, Steven T.; Pueppke, Steven G.The potential for market failure resulting from under-investment in research is onejustification for public agricultural research. This justification seems less germane given recent developments regarding intellectual property protection and the size of private biotechnology firms. This article explores an alternative justification for public support of biotechnology research in agriculture.