G20 Presidency Research Articles

A Critique of Australia’s G20 Presidency and the Brisbane Summit 2014

This article seeks to evaluate Australia as host of the Brisbane G20 Summit in 2014. The Australian G20 government, it appears, aimed to move the G20 from focusing on just responding to the financial crisis to a future growth orientation concentrating on structural reforms. To achieve this, Australia chose a narrow economic approach to the agenda. The Presidency sought to avoid engaging with broader security or climate change challenges. This effort to narrow focus and move away from a “war cabinet” approach met, however, with quite mixed success. A strong performance at the regulatory level, an emphasis on economic fundamentals and a place-branding approach to the Leaders’ Summit, all efforts of the Australian host, appear to have been insufficient for Australia’s G20 Presidency. Three additional factors seem necessary for a middle power like Australia to have impact on hosting the Leaders’ Summit: evidence of substantial and effective political leadership; a credible outreach narrative to citizens broadly that emphasizes the unique perspective of the Host; and a serious investment in the troika style leadership of the Summit. This essay raises questions over Australia’s leadership of the G20, and then examines important broader questions of G20 leadership concerned with this institution’s overall effectiveness and the success of the outreach efforts.

Improving Agricultural Productivity Sustainably at Global Level: The Role of Agricultural Innovation Policies

summaryImproving Agricultural Productivity Sustainably at Global Level: The Role of Agricultural Innovation PoliciesAt the request of Mexican G20 presidency, a number of international organisations provided recommendations on how to improve agricultural productivity sustainably, in particular for small family farms. This article outlines current issues regarding developments in agricultural productivity and sustainability, and stresses the potential role of innovation in improving agricultural productivity growth sustainably. While average growth in total factor productivity tends to accelerate and to converge across major world regions, there are major differences across countries, regions and farms. Efforts to increase agricultural production and productivity face serious challenges in terms of sustainability as they take place within an environment characterised by the scarcity of natural resources and uncertainties regarding the impact of climate change. Innovation is seen as key to improving productivity sustainably. As major providers of research and innovation, G20 countries will have to help find innovative solutions better adapted to an evolving and diverse demand. Suggestions made to improve the relevance and cost‐efficiency of G20 agricultural innovation systems include: strengthening the governance of Agricultural Innovations Systems (AIS), cross‐country co‐operation, involvement of the private sector, including through public–private partnerships, linkages within multiple AIS actors, and regulations to foster innovation in the sector.