www
iipm think tank
Home
Scrutiny
Publications
Under Cover
Mus'ings
Home
>
Scrutiny
> Food Prices Up; R&D Down
Case Studies
Marketing
Human Resource
Information Technology
Finance
Strategy
Industries
Steel
Glass
Banking
Prophylactic
Auto
Hospitality
Energy
Other links
IIPM
Planman Consulting
Planman Marcom
Planman Technologies
Daily Indian Media
Planman Financial
4P's Business and Marketing
Business and Economy
The Daily Indian
The Sunday Indian
Arindam Chaudhuri
GIDF
Scrutiny
Food Prices Up; R&D Down
Dwindling Focus on R&D Investment in Agriculture Spells Disaster!
23/06/2011
The advent of 20th century saw a sharp positive shift in the trajectory of global poverty alleviation by the means of enhanced agricultural production aided by R&D which lifted millions out of abject poverty. But R&D investment in agriculture has not been witnessing very positive signs.
As per a book titled ‘Developing World: Too little too late?’, from the period 1981 to 2000, worldwide R&D investment in agriculture increased by 51% (from $15.2 billion to $23 billion). Out of this, the contribution of rich countries was $12.8 billion in 2000 – two third of which came from just 4 countries – US, Japan, Germany and France. However, R&D spending in agriculture is negligible when compared to other industries even beyond 2000. In 2005, the European Commission data confirmed that, pharmaceuticals & biotechnology ($97 billion in R&D), technology hardware and equipment ($101 billion), automobiles and parts ($92 billion) and software and computer services ($35 billion) grossed more in R&D investments than agriculture, which rose by 2.3% in the last decade – pharma and biotech grew at 8.3%, technology hardware & equipment at 7.2% and software grew at 9.2% in just one year; 2005.
FAO’s biannual outlook mentions, “In international food trade, the global food import bill is expected to reach a new record of $1.29 trillion in 2011 – 21 percent more than in 2010. Low-Income Food Deficit Countries and Least Developed Countries would be hardest-hit since they would likely have to spend respectively 27 and 30 percent more on food imports than last year.World Bank estimates there was just 1.46% growth in agriculture during 2008-2009 in low income countries. Global food price index was estimated to have been around 36% higher yoy in March 2011, which has ensured that 44 million people moved back below the poverty line. Cheap food needs a muse – R&D is one.
By:-
Back
Home
|
Scrutiny
|
Publications
|
About us
|
Contact us
Copyright @2010 iipm think tank. All rights reserved.