The researchers and authors of the publication were the Director of IICA’s Area of Science and Technology, Enrique Alarcon, and specialists Viviana Palmieri and David Rodriguez (who passed away recently).

After presenting an overview of the trends in agricultural production and the institutional framework for technology (policies, strategies, rules and organizations) that exists in Latin America and the Caribbean, the book analyzes the investment in agricultural technology research and development, and the human resources working in this field.

In general, the conclusion is that, although a national, regional and international technological institutional framework exists, “support for capacity building for innovation has not matched the needs or the challenge.”

“The region lags far behind the technologically advanced countries as far as key indicators of capabilities in science and technology (S&T) and innovation are concerned” and there are significant differences between countries in the region.

These weaknesses are reflected in the “chronic underinvestment in research and development” in several countries for many years and in the absence of the “critical mass needed to promote technological innovation effectively.”

“Not enough resources are invested and unsatisfactory use is made of those that are. We must invest more and more wisely, so the results of the investment has a more significant impact on technological innovation, that is, on the producer’s knowledge, to improve the way in which he or she produces,” explained Viviana Palmieri, IICA specialist in technology and innovation.

According to data compiled by the Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) initiative and quoted in the document, investment in agricultural science and technology in 15 countries of the region has experienced a moderate increase in real terms, equivalent to average annual growth of 1.1% between 1981 and 2006.

This growing trend for the region as a whole masks the major differences that exist between countries in the hemisphere (just five countries account for over 90% of all investment).

Furthermore, the same ASTI study shows that the intensity of investment, i.e., the ratio of investment to agricultural GDP, is around one percent on average, with the figure for 2006 lower than the percentage in 2001.

There are also big differences between countries with regard to this indicator, with figures of over 1.5% in Brazil and Uruguay, but less than 0.3% in the Dominican Republic, Paraguay and Guatemala.

With regard to researchers, the report points to the existence of 18,650 professionals devoted to agricultural research in Latin America and the Caribbean, an increase in the number of professionals with doctoral studies and a very small decline in the number of professionals without graduate-level qualifications.

Nevertheless, the region still needs to increase the critical mass of researchers, extension workers, technical assistants and innovation agents in general.

In Palmieri’s opinion, the current renewed political interest in agriculture could create an enabling environment for raising awareness and attracting young people to this area of specialization.

Institutional outlook

At the national level, the study revealed the existence of implicit (non-formal) national agricultural research systems (NARS) in most countries. Within these systems, the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARI) “continue to be the chief source of knowledge and technologies as public goods.”

Some universities play another very important role by not only training agricultural science professionals but also carrying out agricultural research and innovation.

The book identifies a phenomenon that began to be observed two years ago within the NARS, designed to fill the gap left - especially for small-scale agriculture - when the technology transfer and extension systems of several countries were dismantled. It involves renewed attempts to strengthen or redesign the systems and, in some cases, link them more closely with research.

It is in this context that social networks of technological innovation and programs for family agriculture have emerged. In Palmieri’s opinion, the ultimate goal of these changes is “to adapt the institutions so they respond to the challenges and achieve their ultimate objective of improving technological decision-making in the countryside.”

In this regard, the publication recommends promoting more explicit inclusion of policies and institutional frameworks to promote the development of national technological innovation systems, making them more inclusive of the actors, the different productive systems and the various sources of knowledge, and ensuring they have better links with society in general.

The book also takes the view that technology research and innovation policies and programs should explicitly include a poverty alleviation component, because the biggest challenge as far as technological innovation is concerned is “to contribute to food security - especially the availability of, and access to, food.”

With regard to the regional mechanisms, the report looks at the cooperative agricultural technology research and transfer programs (PROCIs), regional research centers like the Tropical Agriculture Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Forum for the Americas on Agricultural Research and Technology Development (FORAGRO), the Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology (FONTAGRO), the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR).

The purpose of an institutional system of this kind is to share information, implement regional research projects and provide non-formal training. In the authors’ opinion, efforts must be made to continue strengthening and fostering these and new types of partnerships.

For more information, contact
viviana.palmieri@iica.int