The Contribution of the CGIAR Centers to World Agricultural Research

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the results of a study of the impact of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centers. The CGIAR was formed in 1971 to extend to other crops, regions, and ecosystems the successful US Foundation-based research models developed for rice and wheat. CGIAR-supported core budget, net of capital, at the bottom of the bracket development, the national agricultural research systems, which conduct location-specific adaptive research, disseminate the improved technologies, and promote institutions and policies that result from successful agricultural research. By the mid 1960s, it was increasingly clear that agricultural growth and productivity were not achieved simply by transferring technology to developing countries. Because of the many factors affecting agricultural production in the Third World, it is impossible to measure the impact of the CGIAR's contribution. The benefits of new technologies such as those embodied in modern crop varieties generate benefits because they permit farmers to produce crops at lower cost per unit of output.