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Inappropriate Technology: Evidence from Global Agriculture

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  • Jacob Moscona
  • Karthik A. Sastry

Abstract

An influential explanation for global productivity differences is that frontier technologies are adapted to the high-income countries that develop them and "inappropriate" elsewhere. We study this hypothesis in agriculture using data on novel plant varieties, patents, output, and the global range of crop pests and pathogens. Innovation focuses on the environmental conditions of technology leaders, and ecological mismatch with these markets reduces technology transfer and production. Combined with a model, our estimates imply that inappropriate technology explains 15-20% of cross-country agricultural productivity differences and re-shapes the potential consequences of innovation policy, the rise of new technology leaders, and environmental change.

Suggested Citation

  • Jacob Moscona & Karthik A. Sastry, 2025. "Inappropriate Technology: Evidence from Global Agriculture," NBER Working Papers 33500, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33500
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    Cited by:

    1. Ariel Akerman & Jacob Moscona & Heitor S. Pellegrina & Karthik Sastry, 2025. "Public R&D Meets Economic Development: Embrapa and Brazil’s Agricultural Revolution," NBER Working Papers 34213, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Daron Acemoglu & Ufuk Akcigit & Simon Johnson, 2026. "Technology and Economic Development," CESifo Working Paper Series 12404, CESifo.
    3. Jacob Moscona, 2025. "Environmental Catastrophe and the Direction of Invention: Evidence from the American Dust Bowl," NBER Working Papers 34438, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Moscona, Jacob & Nunn, Nathan & Robinson, James A., 2026. "Searching for Fish in Trees (緣木求魚)? Economic Development when Context Matters," CEPR Discussion Papers 21124, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    5. Lerner, Josh & Liu, Junxi & Moscona, Jacob & Yang, David Y., 2026. "Appropriate Entrepreneurship? The Rise of China and the Developing World," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1608, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    6. Lerner, Josh & Liu, Junxi & Moscona, Jacob & Yang, David Y., 2026. "Appropriate Entrepreneurship? The Rise of China and the Developing World," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 799, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity
    • O44 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Environment and Growth
    • Q16 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - R&D; Agricultural Technology; Biofuels; Agricultural Extension Services
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • Q57 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Ecological Economics

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