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The Australian Development Gateway (ADG) strives to support members of the development community in their efforts to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region. The site has been created with participation from members of government, private, academia and non-government organisations. User feedback mechanisms have been incorporated to guide future directions of the site. The site is optimised for low bandwidth access to enable the widest participation throughout the Asia Pacific region.

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Agricultural technology

Agricultural R&D in the developing world: too little, too late? (pdf 1.5mb)

Using a set of comparative country studies, this report provides insights into important changes taking place in and around agricultural R&D. (research and development). The countries covered include the largest developing countries, China and India, as well as a range
of richer and poorer, and more and less-developed countries, such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Zambia.

The report concludes:
- Rich countries are now less interested in productivity enhancement
- Despite good returns on investment, under funding of agricultural research is pervasive, especially in poorer countries
- Developing countries may need to become more self-reliant and perhaps more dependent on one another for the collective benefits of agricultural R&D and technology;
- Both rich and poor countries will have to adapt their strategies to reflect continuing changes in the nature of agricultural R&D spillovers
- The freeing up of international trade means that investments in R&D should be guided by comparative advantage;
- The international community needs to establish a framework that results in optimal investments in R&D by and for developing countries

 

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