IFPRI Brief Tackles Asia-Pacific Investments in R&D

The Asia-Pacific region spent $9.6 billion on agricultural research and development (R&D) with China, Japan, and India accounting for about 70% of the total expenditures. Smaller countries like Malaysia and Vietnam invested substantially on R&D but Pakistan, Indonesia, and Laos “proved sluggish”. This was forwarded by a research brief prepared by Nienke Beintema and Gert-Jan Stads of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

The IFPRI brief noted that national governments still fund the bulk of Asian agricultural R&D but that new sources of funding such as competitive funding mechanisms are emerging. The private sector has also taken a greater role in research. Sustainable financial and political support for agricultural R&D is crucial if the challenges of economic and social development in the region are to be met, the authors conclude.

Download a copy of the Brief at http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/ib/rb11.pdf