Journal Browser
Journal Insights

Frequency: Quarterly

Time to first decision: 2.4 Weeks

Submission to publication: 10 Weeks

Acceptance rate: 26 %

E-ISSN: 2811-0943

Journal Citations

Abstracting and Indexing

徽标低可信度描述已自动生成

Members

徽标, 公司名称描述已自动生成图示中度可信度描述已自动生成

徽标描述已自动生成图标描述已自动生成

Related Journal
Open Access Journal Article

Impact of Institutional Quality and Research and Development (R&D) on Agricultural Productivity in Low-and Middle-Income Countries

by Agossou Justin Tovilode a,*  and  Wanki Moon a
a
Agribusiness Economics, Southern Illinois University of Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
JEA  2025 4(2):100; https://doi.org/10.58567/jea04020003
Received: 18 July 2024 / Accepted: 28 December 2024 / Published Online: 23 January 2025

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of institutions and public agricultural Research and Development (R&D) on agricultural productivity in low- and middle-income countries. The paper employs panel data with fixed-effects models, spanning 12 years and including 49 low-and middle-income countries. Agricultural productivity is measured by cereal yield, while institutional factors are assessed through four key indicators: judicial independence, property rights protection, contract enforcement, and impartial public administration. Public agricultural R&D investments serve as the measure for agricultural R&D. The findings show that property rights protection positively influences agricultural productivity, whereas legal contract enforcement has a negative impact across these countries. Additionally, public agricultural R&D significantly and positively affect productivity in Asia and the LAC regions, but not in sub-Saharan Africa.


Copyright: © 2025 by Tovilode and Moon. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Share and Cite

ACS Style
Tovilode, A. J.; Moon, W. Impact of Institutional Quality and Research and Development (R&D) on Agricultural Productivity in Low-and Middle-Income Countries. Journal of Economic Analysis, 2025, 4, 100. https://doi.org/10.58567/jea04020003
AMA Style
Tovilode A J, Moon W. Impact of Institutional Quality and Research and Development (R&D) on Agricultural Productivity in Low-and Middle-Income Countries. Journal of Economic Analysis; 2025, 4(2):100. https://doi.org/10.58567/jea04020003
Chicago/Turabian Style
Tovilode, Agossou J.; Moon, Wanki 2025. "Impact of Institutional Quality and Research and Development (R&D) on Agricultural Productivity in Low-and Middle-Income Countries" Journal of Economic Analysis 4, no.2:100. https://doi.org/10.58567/jea04020003
APA style
Tovilode, A. J., & Moon, W. (2025). Impact of Institutional Quality and Research and Development (R&D) on Agricultural Productivity in Low-and Middle-Income Countries. Journal of Economic Analysis, 4(2), 100. https://doi.org/10.58567/jea04020003

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

References

  1. Abrams, L. (2018). Unlocking the potential of enhanced rain-fed agriculture. Report no. 39. SIWI, Stockholm.
  2. Acemoglu, D. (2008). Introduction to modern economic growth. Princeton university press.
  3. Acemoglu D., Johnson, S., and Robinson, J. A. (2005). Institutions as a Fundamental Cause of Long-Run Growth. Chapter 06 in Handbook of Economic Growth. (2005). vol. 1, Part A, 385-472. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1574-0684(05)01006-3
  4. Acemoglu, D., Johnson, S., and Robinson, J. A. (2001). The colonial origins of comparative development: An empirical investigation. American economic review, 91(5), 1369-1401.
  5. ADB. (2011). Environment Program: Greening growth in Asia and the Pacific. Mandaluyong City. Asian Development Bank.
  6. Adelman, I. (1984). Beyond export-led growth. World development, 12(9), 937-949. https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(84)90050-0
  7. Arias, D., Vieira, P. A., Contini, E., Farinelli, B., and Morris, M. (2017). Agriculture Productivity Growth in Brazil: Recent trends and future prospects. http://dx.doi.org/10.1596/29437
  8. Bates, R. (1981). Markets and States in Tropical Africa: The Political Basis of Agricultural Policies. Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/86293/ MPRA Paper No. 86293, posted 18 Jul 2018 12:33 UTC.
  9. Bautista, R., Robinson, S., and El-Said, M. (1999). Alternative Industrial Development Paths for Indonesia: SAM and CGE Analyses. TMD Discussion Paper no. 42. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC. http://dx.doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.97538
  10. Beegle, K., and Christiaensen, L. (Eds.). (2019). Accelerating poverty reduction in Africa. World Bank Publications
  11. Berdegué, J.A. (2009). Estrategias y programas de reducción de la pobreza rural. In: M. Piñeiro (ed.) La Institucionalidad Agropecuaria en América Latina: Estado Actual y Nuevos Desafíos. Rome: FAO. 420-446.
  12. Berdegué, J. A., and Fuentealba, R. (2011). Latin America: The state of smallholders in agriculture. In IFAD conference on new directions for smallholder agriculture 24, 25.
  13. Braconier, H. (2000). Do Higher Per Capita Incomes Lead to More R&D Expenditure? Review of Development Economics, 4(3), 244–257.
  14. Bozkurt, C. (2015). R&D expenditures and economic growth relationship in Turkey. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 5(1), 188-198.
  15. CAADP “Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Program”. (2015). Results Framework 2015-2025.Going for results and impacts.
  16. Christiaensen, L. J., and Demery, L. (2007). Down to Earth: Agriculture and Poverty in Africa. World Bank, Washington, DC.
  17. Christiaensen, L., Demery, L., and Kuhl, J. (2011). The (evolving) role of agriculture in poverty reduction—An empirical perspective. Journal of development economics, 96(2), 239-254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2010.10.006
  18. Christiaensen L., Demery, L., and Kühl, J. (2006). The Role of Agriculture in Poverty Reduction, an Empirical Perspective. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 4013, World Bank Publications.
  19. Collier, P. (2003). Primary commodity dependence and Africa’s future. In Annual World Bank conference on development economics, 139-62.
  20. Deininger K., Byerlee, D., Lindsay, J., Norton, A., Selod, H., and Stickler M. (2011). Rising Global Interest in Farmland: Can It Yield Sustainable and Equitable Benefits? World Bank Publications.
  21. De Janvry, A., and Sadoulet, E. (2010). Agricultural growth and poverty reduction: Additional evidence. The World bank research observer, 25(1), 1-20.
  22. Dercon, S. (2009). Rural poverty: Old challenges in new contexts. The World Bank Research Observer, 24(1), 1-28.
  23. Diao, X., Hazell, P., and Thurlow, J. (2010). The role of agriculture in African development. World development, 38(10), 1375-1383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2009.06.011
  24. Diao, X., Hazell, P. B., Resnick, D., and Thurlow, J. (2007). The role of agriculture in development: Implications for Sub-Saharan Africa. Research reports 153, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896291614RR153
  25. Easterly, W. (2002). The elusive quest for growth: economists’ adventures and misadventures in the topics. The MIT Press, 360, ISBN 9780262260657.
  26. FAO. (2020). Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2020. Maternal and Child diets at the heart of improving nutrition.
  27. Fan, S. (2002). Agricultural research and urban poverty in India. Environment and Production Technology Division Discussion. Paper No. 94, Washington, DC, International Food Policy Research Institute.
  28. Fan, S., and Rao, N. (2003). Public spending in developing countries: Trends, determination, and impact. Environment, Production, and Technology Division Discussion Paper 99. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute
  29. Fan, S., Zhang, L., and Zhang, X. (2008). Public Expenditure, Growth and Poverty Reduction in Rural Uganda. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8268.2008.00194.x
  30. Fan S., Hazell, P., and Thorat, S. (1999). Linkages between government spending, growth, and poverty in rural India. IFPRI Research Report No. 110, Washington, DC, International Food Policy Research Institute.
  31. Fuglie, K., and Wang, S. L. (2012). Productivity growth in global agriculture shifting to developing countries. Choices, 27(4), 1-7.
  32. Gollin, D. (2010). Agricultural productivity and economic growth. Handbook of agricultural economics, 4, 3825-3866. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1574-0072(09)04073-0
  33. Gollin, D., Hansen, C. W., and Wingender, A. (2019). Two blades of grass: Agricultural innovation, productivity, and economic growth. Working Paper. May 2019. https://files.webservices.illinois.edu/6984/gollinhansenandwingenderjperesubmissioncorrected.pdf
  34. Gumus, E., and Celikay, F. (2015). R&D expenditure and economic growth: new empirical evidence. Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, 9(3), 205-217. https://doi.org/10.1177/0973801015579753
  35. Hafeez, A., Syed, K. B. S., and Qureshi, F. (2019). Exploring the Relationship between Government R & D Expenditures and Economic Growth in a Global Perspective: A PMG Estimation Approach. International Business Research, 12(4), 163-174. https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v12n4p163
  36. Haggblade, S., Hazell, P. B., and Reardon, T. (Eds.). (2007). Transforming the rural nonfarm economy: Opportunities and threats in the developing world. Intl Food Policy Res Inst.
  37. Heisey, P. W. (2001). Agricultural Research and Development, Agricultural Productivity, and Food Security. AgriEcon search Agriculture Information Bulletin Number 765-10.
  38. Hussey, A. J., Jetter, M., and McWilliam, D. (2021). The fundamental determinants of economic inequality in average income across countries: The declining role of political institutions. Review of Income and Wealth, 67(1), 104-133. https://doi.org/10.1111/roiw.12459
  39. Ivanic, M., and Martin, W. (2018). Sectoral productivity growth and poverty reduction: National and global impacts. World Development, 109, 429-439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.07.004
  40. Jorgenson, D.G. (1961). The development of dual economics. The Economics journal, 71 (282), 309-334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.07.004
  41. Johnston, B. F., and Mellor, J. W. (1961). The role of agriculture in economic development. The American Economic Review, 51(4), 566-593.
  42. Knack, S., and Keefer, P. (1997). Does social capital have an economic payoff? A cross-country investigation. The Quarterly journal of economics, 112(4), 1251-1288.
  43. Knack, S., and Keefer, P. (1995). Institutions and economic performance: cross‐country tests using alternative institutional measures. Economics & politics, 7(3), 207-227.
  44. Kuznets, S. (1966). Modern Economic Growth: Rate, Structure, and Spread. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.
  45. Ladha, J. K., Dawe, D., Pathak, H., Padre, A. T., Yadav, R. L., Singh, B., Singh, Y., Singh, P., Kundu, A. L., Sakal, R., Ram, N. Regmi, A. P., Gami, S. K., Bhandari, A. L., Amin, R., Yadav, C. R., Bhattarai, E. M., Das, S., Aggarwal, H. P., Gupta, R. K. and Hobbs, P. R. (2003). How extensive are yield declines in long-term rice: Wheat experiments in Asia? Field Crops Research, 81,159–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4290(02)00219-8
  46. Lal, M. (2011). Implications of climate change in sustained agricultural productivity in South Asia. Regional environmental change, 11(Suppl 1), 79-94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-010-0166-9
  47. Lederman, D., and Maloney, W. F. (2003). R&D and development. Available at SSRN 402480.
  48. Lewis, W. A. (1954). Economic Development with an unlimited supply of labor. Manchester School of Economic and Social Studies, 22, 139–191.
  49. Mellor, J. W. (2001). Faster more equitable growth – agriculture, employment multipliers, and poverty reduction. Agricultural Policy Development Project Research Report 4, Cambridge, MA.
  50. Moon, W. (2022). The lack of dynamic competition and the market insufficiency for agricultural productivity growth: Implications for the role of the state. Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, 1(4), 374-384. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaa2.31
  51. Morris, M., Sebastian, A. R., and Perego, V. M. E. (2020). Future Foodscapes Re-imagining Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW.
  52. NEPAD. (2013). Agriculture in Africa Transformation and Outlook.
  53. Niang, I., Ruppel, O.C., Abdrabo, M.A., Essel, A., Lennard, C., Padgham, J., Urquhart, P., and Descheemaeker, K. K. E. (2014) Chapter 22: Africa. In: Barros, V.R., Field, C.B., Dokken, D.J., Mastrandrea, M.D. and Mach, K.J., Eds., Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1199-1266. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74262-1_16
  54. OECD/FAO. (2019). OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2019-2028, OECD Publishing, Paris/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. https://doi.org/10.1787/agr_outlook-2019-en
  55. Ouru, L., and Mose, N. (2021). Impact of agricultural R&D on sectoral economic growth. Asian journal of economics, Business and Accounting. https://doi.org/10.9734/AJEBA/2021/v21i530379
  56. Pal, S. (2017). Agricultural R&D Policy in India. ICAR–National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research.
  57. Pardey P. G., and Beddow, J. M. (2017). Revitalizing agricultural research and development to sustain US competitiveness.
  58. Pernechele, V., Fontes, F., Baborska, R., Nkuingoua, J., Pan, X., and Tuyishime, C. (2021). Public expenditure on food and agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa: trends, challenges, and priorities. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4492en
  59. Petrakos, G., and Arvanitidis, P. (2008). Determinants of economic growth. Economic alternatives, 1(1), 12-30.
  60. Piesse, J., and Thirtle, C. (2010). Agricultural R&D, technology and productivity. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 365(1554), 3035-3047. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2010.0140
  61. Rangarajan, C. (1982). Agricultural growth and industrial performance in India. Research Report 33. Washington DC: IFPRI.
  62. Ranis, G., and Fei, J. C. (1961). A theory of economic development. The American economic review, 533-565.
  63. Ravallion, M., and Datt, G. (1996). How important to India's poor is the sectoral composition of economic growth? The World Bank Economic Review, 10(1), 1-25.
  64. Remmer, K. L. (1991). The political impact of economic crisis in Latin America in the 1980s. The American Political Science Review, 85(3), 777–800.
  65. Rodrik, D. (2000). Institutions for High-Quality Growth: What They Are and How to Acquire Them. Studies in Comparative International Development, 35(3), 3-31.
  66. Subramanian, M. A., Trebbi, M. F., and Rodrik, M. D. (2002). Institutions Rule: The Primacy of Institutions over Integration and Geography in Economic Development. IMF Working Paper.
  67. Rosegrant, M. W., and Hazell, P. B. (2001). Transforming the rural Asia economy: The unfinished revolution. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press.
  68. Schultz, T. W. (1964). Transforming Traditional Agriculture. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.
  69. Singer, H. (1979). Policy implications of the Lima target. Industry and Development 3, 17–22.
  70. Singh R. B. (2002). The State of Food and Agriculture in Asia and the Pacific: Challenges and Opportunities, The State of Food and Agriculture in Asia and the Pacific published by IFA and FAO Paris, France.
  71. Stads, G., and Beintema, N. (2010). Public Agricultural R&D Investments and Capacities in Developing Countries recent evidence for 2000 and beyond. Note prepared for the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD), Montpellier.
  72. Stads, G. J., Beintema, N., Perez, S., Flaherty, K., and Falconi, C. (2016). A Cross-Country Analysis of Institutions, Investment, and Capacities. Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
  73. Thirtle, C., Lin, L., and Piesse, J. (2003). The impact of research-led agricultural productivity growth on poverty reduction in Africa, Asia and Latin America. World Development, 31(12), 1959-1975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2003.07.001
  74. Timmer, P. (2005). Agriculture and pro-poor growth: What the literature says. Draft paper, Agricultural and Rural Development Dept., World Bank, Washington, DC.
  75. Tung, L. T., and Hoang, L. N. (2024). Impact of R&D expenditure on economic growth: evidence from emerging economies. Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management, 15(3), 636-654. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTPM-08-2022-0129
  76. Vogel, S. (1994). Structural Changes in Agriculture: Production Linkages and Agricultural Demand-Led Industrialization. Oxford Economic Papers, 46(1), 136–156.
  77. World Bank. (2013). Unlocking Africa’s Agricultural Potential. Sustainable Development Series.