IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jproda/v33y2010i3p173-190.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Technology capital: the price of admission to the growth club

Author

Listed:
  • Robert Evenson
  • Keith Fuglie

Abstract

We assess long-run patterns of global agricultural productivity growth in developing countries between 1970 and 2005 and examine the relationship between investments in technology capital and productivity. To measure agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) we employ a Solow-type growth accounting method to decompose output growth into input and TFP growth. For technology capital we construct two indexes reflecting national capacities in agricultural research and education-extension for 87 developing countries. We then correlate technology capital levels with long-term growth rates in agricultural TFP. Our findings show that average agricultural TFP growth in developing countries accelerated in the 1980s and 1990s but fell marginally in the early 2000s. TFP performance was very uneven across countries and regions. TFP growth rates by individual countries were significantly influenced by their levels of technology capital. Marginal improvements to research capacity, given a minimal level of extension and schooling existed, were associated with faster TFP growth. However, marginal increases in extension-schooling without commiserate improvements in research capacity did not improve productivity performance.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Evenson & Keith Fuglie, 2010. "Technology capital: the price of admission to the growth club," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 173-190, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jproda:v:33:y:2010:i:3:p:173-190
    DOI: 10.1007/s11123-009-0149-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11123-009-0149-3
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11123-009-0149-3?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 look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alston, Julian M. & Wyatt, T. J. & Pardey, Philip G. & Marra, Michele C. & Chan-Kang, Connie, 2000. "A meta-analysis of rates of return to agricultural R & D: ex pede Herculem?," Research reports 113, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Barro, Robert J & Lee, Jong-Wha, 2001. "International Data on Educational Attainment: Updates and Implications," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 53(3), pages 541-563, July.
    3. Peterson, Willis L., 1987. "International Land Quality Indexes," Staff Papers 13877, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
    4. Keith Fuglie, 2004. "Productivity growth in Indonesian agriculture, 1961-2000," Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(2), pages 209-225.
    5. Ludena, Carlos E. & Hertel, Thomas W. & Preckel, Paul V. & Foster, Kenneth A. & Nin Pratt, Alejandro, 2006. "Productivity Growth and Convergence in Crop, Ruminant and Non-Ruminant Production: Measurement and Forecasts," 2006 Annual Meeting, August 12-18, 2006, Queensland, Australia 25392, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Barbara J. Craig & Philip G. Pardey & Johannes Roseboom, 1997. "International Productivity Patterns: Accounting for Input Quality, Infrastructure, and Research," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 79(4), pages 1064-1076.
    7. Unknown, 1961. "The Role of Agriculture in Economic Development," International Journal of Agrarian Affairs, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 3(2), pages 1-1, April.
    8. V. Eldon Ball & Jean-Christophe Bureau & Richard Nehring & Agapi Somwaru, 1997. "Agricultural Productivity Revisited," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 79(4), pages 1045-1063.
    9. Barry Bosworth & Susan M. Collins, 2008. "Accounting for Growth: Comparing China and India," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 22(1), pages 45-66, Winter.
    10. Wiebe, Keith D., 2003. "Land Quality, Agricultural Productivity, And Food Security At Local, Regional, And Global Scales," 2003 Annual meeting, July 27-30, Montreal, Canada 22015, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    11. Keith Wiebe & Meredith J. Soule & Clare Narrod & Vincent E. Breneman, 2003. "Resource Quality and Agricultural Productivity: A Multi-Country Comparison," Chapters, in: Keith Wiebe (ed.), Land Quality, Agricultural Productivity, and Food Security, chapter 7, pages 147-165, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Fan, Shenggen & Zhang, Xiaobo, 2002. "Production and Productivity Growth in Chinese Agriculture: New National and Regional Measures," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 50(4), pages 819-838, July.
    13. Scott Rozelle & Johan F.M. Swinnen, 2004. "Success and Failure of Reform: Insights from the Transition of Agriculture," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(2), pages 404-456, June.
    14. Shenggen Fan & Peter Hazell & Sukhadeo Thorat, 2000. "Government Spending, Growth and Poverty in Rural India," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 82(4), pages 1038-1051.
    15. Angela Lusigi & Colin Thirtle, 1997. "Total Factor Productivity And The Effects Of R&D In African Agriculture," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 9(4), pages 529-538.
    16. Chambers,Robert G., 1988. "Applied Production Analysis," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521314275.
    17. Evenson, Robert E., 2001. "Economic impacts of agricultural research and extension," Handbook of Agricultural Economics, in: B. L. Gardner & G. C. Rausser (ed.), Handbook of Agricultural Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 11, pages 573-628, Elsevier.
    18. Pardey, Philip G. & Roseboom, Johannes & Anderson, Jock R., 1991. "Agricultural Research Policy: International Quantitative Perspectives," ISNAR Archive 310674, CGIAR > International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    19. Evenson, Robert E. & Pray, Carl E. & Rosegrant, Mark W., 1999. "Agricultural research and productivity growth in India:," Research reports 109, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    20. Alston, Julian M. & Pardey, Philip G. & Taylor, Michael J., 2001. "Agricultural science policy: changing global agendas," Food policy statements 32, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. repec:oup:apecpp:v:40:y:2018:i:3:p:421-444. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Deng, Haiyan & Jin, Yanhong & Pray, Carl & Hu, Ruifa & Xia, Enjun & Meng, Hong, 2021. "Impact of public research and development and extension on agricultural productivity in China from 1990 to 2013," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    3. Shittu, Adebayo M. & Odine, Agatha I., 2014. "Agricultural Productivity Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1990-2010: the role of Investment, Governance and Trade," Conference papers 332439, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    4. Truc Linh Le & Pai-Po Lee & Ke Chung Peng & Rebecca H. Chung, 2019. "Evaluation of total factor productivity and environmental efficiency of agriculture in nine East Asian countries," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 65(6), pages 249-258.
    5. Lunduka, Rodney & Fisher, Monica & Snapp, Sieglinde, 2012. "Could farmer interest in a diversity of seed attributes explain adoption plateaus for modern maize varieties in Malawi?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 504-510.
    6. Jean Galbert, ONGONO OLINGA, 2023. "Agricultural Productivity and Climate Change: An Evidence of a non-linear Relationship in Sub-Saharan Africa," MPRA Paper 117669, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Jules-Daniel Wurlod & Derek Eaton, 2015. "Chasing After the Frontier in Agricultural Productivity," FOODSECURE Working papers 36, LEI Wageningen UR.
    8. Fuglie, Keith O. & Rada, Nicholas E., 2013. "Resources, Policies, and Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Research Report 145368, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    9. Nivievskyi, O., 2018. "Tax Incentives and Agricultural Productivity Growth in Ukraine," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277498, International Association of Agricultural Economists.

    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. Keith O. Fuglie, 2008. "Is a slowdown in agricultural productivity growth contributing to the rise in commodity prices?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 39(s1), pages 431-441, November.
    2. repec:oup:apecpp:v:40:y:2018:i:3:p:421-444. is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Fuglie, Keith, 2015. "Accounting for growth in global agriculture," Bio-based and Applied Economics Journal, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), vol. 4(3), pages 1-34, December.
    4. Fuglie, Keith O. & Rada, Nicholas E., 2013. "Resources, Policies, and Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Research Report 145368, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    5. Rosegrant, Mark W. & Fan, Shenggen & Otsuka, Keijiro, 2021. "Global issues in agricultural development," IFPRI book chapters, in: Agricultural development: New perspectives in a changing world, chapter 2, pages 35-78, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. Bruce L. Gardner, 2005. "Causes of rural economic development," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 32(s1), pages 21-41, January.
    7. Alene, Arega D., 2009. "Productivity growth and the effects of R&D in African agriculture," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51436, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    8. Mugunieri, Godiah Lawrence & Obare, Gideon A. & Omamo, Steven Were, 2009. "Does the structure of agricultural science and technology policy system matter in developing country agricultural productivity growth trends? Evidence from Kenya and Uganda," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 50538, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    9. Esposti, Roberto, 2012. "Knowledge, Technology and Innovations for a Bio-based Economy: Lessons from the Past, Challenges for the Future," Bio-based and Applied Economics Journal, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), vol. 1(3), pages 1-34, December.
    10. Keith Fuglie, 2010. "Sources of growth in Indonesian agriculture," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 225-240, June.
    11. Yu Sheng & Eldon Ball & Katerina Nossal, 2015. "Comparing Agricultural Total Factor Productivity between Australia, Canada, and the United States, 1961-2006," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 29, pages 38-59, Fall.
    12. Benin, Samuel & Randriamamonjy, Josee, 2007. "Reaching middle-income status in Ghana by 2015: What are the constraints and opportunities for raising agriculture productivity?," GSSP working papers 5, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    13. Tim J. Coelli & D. S. Prasada Rao, 2005. "Total factor productivity growth in agriculture: a Malmquist index analysis of 93 countries, 1980–2000," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 32(s1), pages 115-134, January.
    14. Jules-Daniel Wurlod & Derek Eaton, 2015. "Chasing After the Frontier in Agricultural Productivity," CIES Research Paper series 37-2015, Centre for International Environmental Studies, The Graduate Institute.
    15. Voigt, Peter, 2004. "Russlands Weg vom Plan zum Markt: Sektorale Trends und regionale Spezifika. Eine Analyse der Produktivitäts- und Effizienzentwicklungen in der Transformationsphase," Studies on the Agricultural and Food Sector in Transition Economies, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), volume 28, number 93021.
    16. Steven Block, 2014. "The Decline and Rise of Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa since 1961," NBER Chapters, in: African Successes, Volume IV: Sustainable Growth, pages 13-67, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Butzer, Rita & Mundlak, Yair & Larson, Donald F., 2010. "Measures of fixed capital in agriculture," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5472, The World Bank.
    18. Keith Wiebe & Meredith J. Soule & Clare Narrod & Vincent E. Breneman, 2003. "Resource Quality and Agricultural Productivity: A Multi-Country Comparison," Chapters, in: Keith Wiebe (ed.), Land Quality, Agricultural Productivity, and Food Security, chapter 7, pages 147-165, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    19. Heisey, Paul W. & Morris, Michael L., 2002. "Practical Challenges To Estimating The Benefits Of Agricultural R&D: The Case Of Plant Breeding Research," 2002 Annual meeting, July 28-31, Long Beach, CA 19828, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    20. Benin, Samuel & Mogues, Tewodaj & Cudjoe, Godsway & Randriamamonjy, Josee, 2009. "Public expenditures and agricultural productivity growth in Ghana," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51634, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    21. Fan, Shenggen & Chan-Kang, Connie, 2004. "Road development, economic growth, and poverty reduction in China," DSGD discussion papers 12, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agricultural development; Agricultural extension; Agricultural research; Land quality; Agricultural cost shares; Growth accounting; Total factor productivity (TFP); Q10; O47; O57;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General
    • Q16 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - R&D; Agricultural Technology; Biofuels; Agricultural Extension Services
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:kap:jproda:v:33:y:2010:i:3:p:173-190. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.