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Grand missions of agricultural innovation

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Listed author(s):
  • 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.

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File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733312002144
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Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Research Policy.

Volume (Year): 41 (2012)
Issue (Month): 10 ()
Pages: 1716-1728

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Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:41:y:2012:i:10:p:1716-1728
DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2012.04.021
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/respol

Keywords: Research; Agriculture; Institutions; Innovation; Foundations;

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  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.
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  14. Pardey, Philip G. & Beintema, Nienke M., 2002. "Slow Magic: Agricultural R&D A Century After Mendel," Working Papers 14364, University of Minnesota, Center for International Food and Agricultural Policy.
  15. 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(04), pages 1123-1171, December.
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  17. Pardey, Philip G. & Alston, Julian M. & Christian, Jason E. & Fan, Shenggen, 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).
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Cited by:

  1. Mariana Mazzucato & Caetano C.R. Penna, 2014. "Beyond market failures: The market creating and shaping roles of state investment banks," SPRU Working Paper Series 2014-21, SPRU - Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Sussex.
  2. Cavallo, Eugenio & Ferrari, Ester & Bollani, Luigi & Coccia, Mario, 2014. "Attitudes and behaviour of adopters of technological innovations in agricultural tractors: A case study in Italian agricultural system," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 44-54.
  3. Mariana Mazzucato, 2015. "From Market Fixing to Market-Creating: A New Framework for Economic Policy," SPRU Working Paper Series 2015-25, SPRU - Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Sussex.
  4. Mariana Mazzucato & Douglas K Robinson, 2016. "Lost in space? NASA and the changing publicprivate eco-system in space," SPRU Working Paper Series 2016-20, SPRU - Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Sussex.
  5. Ester Ferrari & Luigi Bollani & Mario Coccia & Eugenio Cavallo, 2013. "Technological Innovations in Agricultural Tractors: Adopters’ behaviour towards new technological trajectories and future directions," CERIS Working Paper 201305, Institute for Economic Research on Firms and Growth - Moncalieri (TO) ITALY -NOW- Research Institute on Sustainable Economic Growth - Moncalieri (TO) ITALY.
  6. Mowery, David C., 2012. "Defense-related R&D as a model for “Grand Challenges” technology policies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(10), pages 1703-1715.
  7. Dennis Wichelns, 2015. "Achieving Water and Food Security in 2050: Outlook, Policies, and Investments," Agriculture, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 5(2), pages 1-33, April.

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