Investment in public agricultural research in South Africa: a critical review of the evidence

Abstract

This policy brief concerns an investigation into trends of public-sector investment in agricultural R&D in South Africa. The evidence suggests that, unlike the positive shift in other middle-income countries, public investment in agricultural R&D in South Africa is lagging behind and may even be declining. Strategies to increase investment in order to contribute to and stimulate the scale of R&D so urgently required are therefore proposed.