This study was initiated in response to the need to understand the appropriate roles to the public and private sector in the delivery of agricultural support services. The study analyzes the economic nature of the different functional and commodity areas in agricultural research, the results of which are used to generate a framework for establishing the appropriate roles for the various participants in the research sector. The report is divided into five sections: the first describes the different categories of agricultural research and the types of institutions involved; the second presents economic concepts that will influence sectoral participation; section three surveys the nature of participation of the public and private sectors in several countries of the world, with primary focus on the institutions involved; section four provides detailed descriptions of the agricultural research sector in six different countries; and finally the fifth presents the major findings of the study and examines the policy implications of these results in terms of the suitable roles of government, private sector, and international centers in furthering the development of agricultural research sector.

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