Knowledge Center Catalog

The importance of impact assessment studies for the brazilian agricultural research system (Record no. 6876)

MARC details
000 -LEADER
fixed length control field 06757nam a22004217a 4500
001 - CONTROL NUMBER
control field G77130
003 - CONTROL NUMBER IDENTIFIER
control field MX-TxCIM
005 - DATE AND TIME OF LATEST TRANSACTION
control field 20211006074335.0
008 - FIXED-LENGTH DATA ELEMENTS--GENERAL INFORMATION
fixed length control field 121211s ||||f| 0 p|p||0|| |
020 ## - INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BOOK NUMBER
International Standard Book Number 970-648-104-4
040 ## - CATALOGING SOURCE
Original cataloging agency MX-TxCIM
072 #0 - SUBJECT CATEGORY CODE
Subject category code A50
072 #0 - SUBJECT CATEGORY CODE
Subject category code E50
082 04 - DEWEY DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION NUMBER
Classification number 338.91
Item number WAT
100 1# - MAIN ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Personal name Diaz Avila, A.F.
Affiliation International conference on impacts of agricultural research and development: Why has impact assessment research not made more of a difference?
110 0# - MAIN ENTRY--CORPORATE NAME
Corporate name or jurisdiction name as entry element Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo (CIMMYT), Mexico DF (Mexico)
111 2# - MAIN ENTRY--MEETING NAME
Meeting name or jurisdiction name as entry element International Conference on Impacts of Agricultural Research and Development
Location of meeting San José (Costa Rica)
Date of meeting 4-7 Feb 2002
245 00 - TITLE STATEMENT
Title The importance of impact assessment studies for the brazilian agricultural research system
260 ## - PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC. (IMPRINT)
Place of publication, distribution, etc. Mexico, DF (Mexico)
Name of publisher, distributor, etc. CIMMYT :
Date of publication, distribution, etc. 2003
300 ## - PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Extent p. 75-76
340 ## - PHYSICAL MEDIUM
Material base and configuration Printed
520 ## - SUMMARY, ETC.
Summary, etc. A significant number of agricultural impact assessment studies have been conducted during the last three decades. These studies have demonstrated the considerable contributions of agricultural research towards improved productivity, profitability, and the sustainability of agribusineses. Brazil is one of the countries where this type of study was frequently utilized. EMBRAPA, a govemment research company, conducts the majority of impact assessment studies in this country. The most frequently posed questions are, how useful is this type of research and how does it impact on agricultural research funding and research institutions themselves? The principal aim of this paper is to present clear evidence that the development and use of impact assessment studies in Brazil predominantly served to strengthen the position of EMBRAPA. Brazilian impact studies began in the early 1980s in response to demands made by Brazilian society, who were interested in the efficacy of significant state investments in agricultural research. Initial studies demonstrated that funding from the national treasury and international loans (IDB and World Bank) invested in infrastructure and human capital in the EMBRAPA's research centers generated high returns. During the next two decades, the Brazilian government continued to invest in EMBRAPA. This allowed the institution to develop a modern, nationwide infrastructure of agricultural research and to adjust the human capital profile dedicated to research activities. In 1974, only 17% of researchers had MSc and PhD degrees. In less than 10 years, this figure changed to 75%. In reality, less than 5% of EMBRAPA's staff lack postgraduate training. Calculated in 1993 dollars, resources allocated to EMBRAPA increased from an average of US$245 million in 1976-80 to more than US$450 million during the 1990s. Continuous public support allowed EMBRAPA to offer competitive salaries, maintain a well-trained research staff, and provide good conditions in which staff could develop their research activities. This context was fundamental for the institution. It enabled a continuous flow of technological outputs that have progressively been integrated into Brazilian agriculture. EMBRAPA was continually asked to demonstrate the efficacy of high state investments. The importance of EMBRAPA's role in the development of agricultural technology has been systematically demonstrated through impact assessment studies conducted by EMBRAPA and other Brazilian research institutions. EMBRAPA has underwritten the validity of its impacts research by stressing the close collaboration of Yale University's International Food Policy Research Institute and the University of Califomia-Davis in the development of impact assessments. The use of foreign researchers, with international experience and using diversified methodological approaches, has played a vital supporting role in EMBRAPA's accountability reports. Evidence to support EMBRAPA's important role in the modernization of the agribusiness sector can also be found in annual progress reports where the role of crop varieties in the seed market and other technologies are clearly shown. Aggregate studies demonstrating the link between agricultural research, increased exports, and agricultural technological change have also been contracted to well known economists with influence over the Brazilian decision- making process. A further kind of impact assessment is the annual social balance. Here, EMBRAPA demonstrates that its technological outputs are also generating social benefits. Another aspect of the EMBRAPA policy is the adoption of an integrated evaluation and award system based on results. All its research centers have been evaluated since 1996. Evaluations are based on economic efficiency (DEA- Data Envelopment Analysis), research funding grants, institutional image, technological impact and research quality. The best teams and employees are awarded annually. As this award is not incorporated into staff salaries and varies according to performance, it has stimulated a general increase in institutional productivity and effectiveness of research centers. Finally, it should be noted that impact assessment studies are still making a difference in EMBRAPA. This is due to the adoption, in the mid-1990s, of an aggressive policy of communication and marketing. Economic, social, and environmental impacts of agricultural research outputs have been effectively communicated to congress and the government and, more recently, to the general public. EMBRAPA's marketing policy clearly recognizes the role of partnerships, state research organizations, universities, CGIAR centers, and the private sector in agricultural technology development. If impact assessment studies are being conducted but are not making a difference, there are two possible explanations-either impact assessments are not being conducted effectively or assessment results are not being communicated effectively to decision-makers. At EMBRAPA, there is strong evidence that impact assessments are important and are making a real difference. They are also strengthening EMBRAPA's institutional image within Brazilian society.
546 ## - LANGUAGE NOTE
Language note English
591 ## - CATALOGING NOTES
Affiliation 0310|AGRIS 0301|AL-Economics Program|R01PROCE
595 ## - COLLECTION
Collection CIMMYT Publications Collection
650 17 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Agricultural development
Miscellaneous information AGROVOC
Source of heading or term
9 (RLIN) 1002
650 10 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Brazil
650 10 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Business management
650 17 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Economic development
Miscellaneous information AGROVOC
Source of heading or term
9 (RLIN) 1089
650 10 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Production policies
9 (RLIN) 1221
653 0# - INDEX TERM--UNCONTROLLED
Uncontrolled term CIMMYT
650 10 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
9 (RLIN) 1235
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Research institutions
Miscellaneous information AGROVOC
650 17 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Agricultural research
Miscellaneous information AGROVOC
Source of heading or term
9 (RLIN) 1006
700 1# - ADDED ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Personal name Silva e Souza, G. da,
Relator term coaut.
700 1# - ADDED ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
9 (RLIN) 960
Personal name Watson, D.J.
Miscellaneous information Research & Partnership Program
Field link and sequence number INT3479
Relator term ed.
942 ## - ADDED ENTRY ELEMENTS (KOHA)
Koha item type Conference proceedings
Holdings
Date last seen Total Checkouts Full call number Barcode Copy number Price effective from Koha item type Lost status Damaged status Not for loan Collection code Withdrawn status Home library Current library Date acquired
02/10/2015   338.91 WAT 1Q632147 1 02/10/2015 Conference proceedings Not Lost     CIMMYT Publications Collection   CIMMYT Knowledge Center: John Woolston Library CIMMYT Knowledge Center: John Woolston Library 02/10/2015

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