SETTING THE LIMITS: THE ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

Abstract

The article focuses on the role of the public sector in agricultural research, having as its basic reference point the relevant contributions of economic theory which deals with the rationality and the returns on investiments in this type of research. It also focuses on the question of intellectual property, confronted with the available knowledge on the economics of the innovation process, concluding that, in spite of the changes directed towards a reduction in State intervention in the present globalized world, the public sector will continue playing an important role in agricultural research. In the Brazilian case, investments by the private sector in agricultural research are very low, with the lack of a patent system being cited as one of the causes of this subinvestment. Another question which arises refers to the priorities of public financing which would be directed to the generation of knowledge which the private sector does not feel stimulated to produce. Such priorities should be consistent with the necessities of society and with the human and financial resources available.