IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/respol/v41y2012i10p1716-1728.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Grand missions of agricultural innovation

Author

Listed:
  • Wright, Brian D.

Abstract

This paper discusses three related examples of mission-oriented agricultural institutional innovations associated with substantial crop yield increases in the 20th century. It begins with the implementation of the United States Land-Grant System and then discusses in turn the planning and implementation of the two grand missions that led successively to the yield increases in wheat and rice that heralded the onset of the “Green Revolution.” It notes the remarkable role of the Rockefeller Foundation in identifying these two missions, and selecting personnel developed within the land-grant system to execute them with remarkable effectiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Wright, Brian D., 2012. "Grand missions of agricultural innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(10), pages 1716-1728.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:41:y:2012:i:10:p:1716-1728
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2012.04.021
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733312002144
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.respol.2012.04.021?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lele, Uma & Goldsmith, Arthur A, 1989. "The Development of National Agricultural Research Capacity: India's Experience with the Rockefeller Foundation and Its Significance for Africa," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 37(2), pages 305-343, January.
    2. Richard E. Just & Wallace E. Huffman, 1992. "Economic Principles and Incentives: Structure, Management, and Funding of Agricultural Research in the United States," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 74(5), pages 1101-1108.
    3. Herdt, Robert W., 2012. "People, institutions, and technology: A personal view of the role of foundations in international agricultural research and development 1960–2010," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 179-190.
    4. Richard Sutch, 2011. "The Impact of the 1936 Corn Belt Drought on American Farmers' Adoption of Hybrid Corn," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of Climate Change: Adaptations Past and Present, pages 195-223, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Judd, M Ann & Boyce, James K & Evenson, Robert E, 1986. "Investing in Agricultural Supply: The Determinants of Agricultural Research and Extension Investment," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 35(1), pages 77-113, October.
    6. J. Bradford De Long & Barry Eichengreen, 1991. "The Marshall Plan: History's Most Successful Structural Adjustment Program," NBER Working Papers 3899, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Julian M. Alston & Philip G. Pardey, 1996. "Making Science Pay: The Economics of Agricultural R&D Policy," Books, American Enterprise Institute, number 53242, September.
    8. Huffman, Wallace E. & Just, Richard E., 2010. "Setting incentives for scientists who engage in research and other activities: an application of principal-agent theory," ISU General Staff Papers 201006110700001129, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    9. Wallace E. Huffman & Robert E. Evenson, 2006. "Do Formula or Competitive Grant Funds Have Greater Impacts on State Agricultural Productivity?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 88(4), pages 783-798.
    10. T. Swann Harding, 1940. "Henry L. Ellsworth, Commissioner of Patents," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 22(3), pages 621-627.
    11. Susan Rose-Ackerman & Robert Evenson, 1985. "The Political Economy of Agricultural Research and Extension: Grants, Votes, and Reapportionment," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 67(1), pages 1-14.
    12. Wallace E. Huffman & John A. Miranowski, 1981. "An Economic Analysis of Expenditures on Agricultural Experiment Station Research," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 63(1), pages 104-118.
    13. Alston, Julian M. & Pardey, Philip G. & Roseboom, Johannes, 1998. "Financing agricultural research: International investment patterns and policy perspectives," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 1057-1071, June.
    14. Johnson, D Gale, 1997. "Agriculture and the Wealth of Nations," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(2), pages 1-12, May.
    15. Alston, Julian M. & Christian, Jason E. & Fan, Shenggen & Pardey, Philip G., 1996. "Summary of a productive partnership: the benefits from U.S. participation in the CGIAR," EPTD discussion papers 18, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    16. Olmstead, Alan L. & Rhode, Paul W., 2008. "Biological Innovation and Productivity Growth in the Antebellum Cotton Economy," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 68(4), pages 1123-1171, December.
    17. Guttman, Joel M, 1978. "Interest Groups and the Demand for Agricultural Research," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 86(3), pages 467-484, June.
    18. Fogel, Robert W, 2004. "Health, Nutrition, and Economic Growth," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 52(3), pages 643-658, April.
    19. Olmstead, Alan L. & Rhode, Paul W., 2003. "Hog-Round Marketing, Seed Quality, and Government Policy: Institutional Change in U.S. Cotton Production, 1920–1960," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 63(2), pages 447-488, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tiffany Shih & Brian Wright, 2011. "Agricultural Innovation," NBER Chapters, in: Accelerating Energy Innovation: Insights from Multiple Sectors, pages 49-85, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Rajeswari S., 1995. "Agricultural research effort: Conceptual clarity and measurement," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 617-635, April.
    3. Pal, Suresh & Singh, Alka, 1997. "Agricultural Research and Extension in India: Institutional Structure and Investments," Policy Papers 344965, ICAR National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (NIAP).
    4. Pal, Suresh & Byerlee, Derek R., 2003. "The Funding And Organization Of Agricultural Research In India: Evolution And Emerging Issues," Policy Papers 11870, National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (NCAP).
    5. Materia, V.C. & Pascucci, S. & Kolympiris, C., 2015. "Understanding the selection processes of public research projects in agriculture: The role of scientific merit," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 87-99.
    6. Khanna, Jyoti & Huffman, Wallace E. & Sandler, Todd, 1990. "The Demand for Agricultural Research by State Governments," ISU General Staff Papers 199012200800001218, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    7. Pal, Suresh & Byerlee, Derek, 2003. "The Funding and Organization of Agricultural Research in India: Evolution and Emerging Policy Issues," Policy Papers 345004, ICAR National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (NIAP).
    8. Ruiqing Miao & Recep Ulucak & David Zilberman, 2024. "Public agricultural research, political economy, and climate change: A literature review," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 46(3), pages 954-982, September.
    9. Peterson, Willis L., 1989. "Public Support Of Experiment Stations," Staff Papers 14229, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
    10. Musser, Wesley N. & Abler, David G., 1991. "An Analysis Of Allocation Of Lisa Research And Extension Funding," 1991 Annual Meeting, August 4-7, Manhattan, Kansas 271073, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    11. Peterson, Willis L., 1991. "Is The Demand For Agricultural Experiment Station Personnel Declining?," Staff Papers 13246, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
    12. de Gorter, Harry & Zilberman, David, 1986. "On the Private and Social Value of Public Good Inputs," CUDARE Working Papers 198280, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    13. Petra Moser, 2021. "Economics of Research and Innovation in Agriculture," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number mose-1, October.
    14. Jeff Alwang & Jaime Ortiz & George Norton, 1995. "Interacciones entre Políticas de Precios y Gastos en Investigación Agropecuaria," Latin American Journal of Economics-formerly Cuadernos de Economía, Instituto de Economía. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile., vol. 32(96), pages 199-216.
    15. Godden, David, 1986. "Agricultural Product Prices and Farm Technology Change," Archive 260393, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Research Economists.
    16. Pardey, Philip G. & Craig, Barbara J., 1987. "Dynamics Of The Agricultural Research And Output Relationship," Staff Papers 13515, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
    17. Petra Moser, 2020. "Introduction to "Economics of Research and Innovation in Agriculture"," NBER Chapters, in: Economics of Research and Innovation in Agriculture, pages 1-19, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Rosenzweig, Mark R. & Wolpin, Kenneth I., 1984. "Externalities, Heterogeneity and the Optimal Distribution of Public Programs: Child Health and Family Planning Interventions," Bulletins 8435, University of Minnesota, Economic Development Center.
    19. Tokgoz, Simla, 2003. "R&D Spillovers In Agriculture: Results From A North-South Trade Model," 2003 Annual meeting, July 27-30, Montreal, Canada 22258, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    20. Foltz, Jeremy D. & Kim, Kwansoo & Barham, Bradford L., 2001. "A Dynamic Count Data Analysis of University Ag-Biotech Patents," Research Reports 25230, University of Connecticut, Food Marketing Policy Center.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:41:y:2012:i:10:p:1716-1728. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/respol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.