The Challenge
Much previous work has examined the effects of commodity research on productivity. Less
is known about the economic benefits of research on natural resource management, of
conserving biodiversity, of policy and institutional research, and of collaboration
between international and national organizations.
There is thus ample scope for improving our ability to estimate the probable magnitude
and distribution of benefits from a wide range of research and related endeavors. It is
particularly important that we appraise more accurately the likely consequences of
research for specific groups of beneficiaries, such as low-income farmers, especially
women. To carry out such analyses, institutions urgently need better information and
methods that can be applied at the regional, national, and agroecosystem levels. In
determining the acceptability, adoption, and impact of selected outputs from CIAT's
research, the Center can at the same time develop tools and databases that are suitable
for wider use in national institutions.
Objective
To help guide resource allocation at CIAT, improve the quality and efficiency of the
Center's work, better inform stakeholders about the returns on their investments, and
assist national institutions in setting priorities by generating impact information and
impact assessment methods.
Outputs
Databases, methods, and guidelines that both international and national institutions
can employ to assess the economic benefits of research on commodities and natural resource
management.
- Estimates of the expected contribution of CIAT's outputs to economic growth, the
alleviation of poverty, and the sustainability of natural resources.
- Analysis of the acceptability, adoption, and impact of outputs from the Center's
research.
- Systems for monitoring, and evaluating projects, designed to be an integral component of
agricultural research.
Benefits
This project benefits research planners in national institutions and in the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) by providing information
that facilitates decisions about the allocation of research resources. Improved resource
allocation could increase the rate of return on investment in agricultural research by an
estimated 2 percent. Research stakeholders profit from an improved ability to measure the
expected returns on investment in agricultural research.
Strategy
The project's strategy consists of four main steps:
- Compile data sets on research activities and costs, biophysical conditions, production
systems, commodity markets, demography, and infrastructure; review existing aggregate
models; and adapt novel techniques to include nonmarket outputs in the economic analysis.
- Analyze current development trends and formulate research investment scenarios to
estimate the magnitude and pattern of expected benefits from CIAT's outputs.
- Review the adoption history and impact of CIAT's outputs.
- Develop procedures to monitor and evaluate projects, help project managers apply them,
and use the resulting information to improve impact projections.
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Funding
for international agricultural research has diminished rapidly in recent years, at the
same time that the research agenda has broadened considerably. To satisfy growing demands,
research leaders must therefore ensure that scarce resources are being used as efficiently
as possible. For this purpose they need reliable information about the impact of research.