Accessing Modern Science: Policy and Institutional Options for Agricultural Biotechnology in Developing Countries

The private sector dominates biotechnology research in industrialized countries, but there are major market failures in developing countries in accessing the new tools and technologies. The public sector, national and international, will have to play a major role in filling this gap. This paper provides an overview of options that countries of different sizes and capacities can employ to gain access to the research tools and technologies that they need to address issues of relevance to poor producers and consumers. Particular attention is given to how public–private partnerships and market segmentation are being employed to access proprietary tools and technologies.