Science, Agriculture and Research

by Buhler, William; Morse, Stephen; Arthur, Eddie; Bolton, Susannah; Mann, Judy; Buhler, William

• ISBN13: 9781853836961
• ISBN10: 1853836966
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-05-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Research is never free of pressures and constraints and to understand its results properly these have to be assessed and analyzed. In agriculture, research into biotechnology and GMOs as well as pesticides and herbicides is big business - agribusiness. This book looks at the crucial roles of funding and the political context on the research agenda and its results in agricultural development. It provides the first critical evaluation of the participatory methods now widely used, and explores the ways in which research into biotechnology have reflected the interests of the various parties involved.

Author Biography

William Buhler is an independent agricultural researcher Stephen Morse is a reader in development studies at the University of Reading Eddie Arthur is a senior agricultural researcher based at the John Innes Centre, Norwich Susannah Bolton is Head of International and Public Liaison at the Institute of Arable Crops Research (IACR), Rothamsted Judy Mann is Development and Liaison Manager for Rothamsted International at IACR

Table of Contents

Tables and Figures	vii
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations	viii
Introduction	1	(1)
The Approach Taken	2	(3)
What Drives Agricultural Research?	5	(19)
The Research Process and Policy - How Does it all Work?	5	(4)
The Importance of Funding in Research	9	(3)
Who Are the Funding Agencies, How Do They Work and What is Their Remit?	12	(3)
Who is Intended to Benefit from the Research?	15	(1)
The Peer-review Process and Research Funding	16	(1)
The Funding Agency Panels and Boards and Who Influences Them	17	(2)
The Importance of Accountability and Value for Money	19	(2)
The Move to Short-termism	21	(3)
From Jethro Tull to Grain Mountains; The Origins and Development of Agricultural Research Systems	24	(13)
A Time-frame of Agricultural Developments since 1700	24	(1)
Problems with Production	25	(2)
The Agricultural Revolution: A Thirst for Knowledge and its Application	27	(2)
Science into Practice - Early Models	29	(2)
Shifting Power: The Democratization of Research	31	(1)
The Politics of Agriculture - Protection versus Improvement	32	(3)
The Industrialization of Agriculture and the Research Process	35	(1)
Control and Accountability	36	(1)
Agriculture and the Empire: Transferring Technocracies	37	(33)
Introduction	37	(2)
The Empire and Agricultural Research	39	(10)
Case Study: Nigeria	49	(7)
Agricultural Research Systems in Nigeria	56	(4)
Agricultural Extension	60	(2)
The CGIAR and Africa's Green Revolution	62	(6)
Summary and Conclusions	68	(2)
Modern Times: Agribusiness and Biotechnology	70	(24)
Time-frame: 1947-2000	70	(1)
Farming Priorities for UK Agricultural Research - Declining Participation	71	(1)
Rothschild Report	72	(4)
Determining Funding Objectives	76	(1)
Guidance from Foresight	77	(4)
Contributions from the EU	81	(1)
Political Agenda of EU Integration?	82	(1)
Applying Applied Science	82	(3)
Academia and Industry Interactions	85	(2)
Farmer Participation?	87	(3)
Future - What Future?	90	(4)
The Rise (and Further Rise?) of Participation	94	(31)
Introduction	94	(1)
The Origins of Participation	95	(2)
Agro-ecosystem Analysis	97	(2)
Farming Systems Research	99	(2)
Rapid and Participatory Appraisal	101	(6)
Current Fronts of Participation	107	(2)
The Further Rise of Participation?	109	(8)
Participation, Research and the CGIAR	117	(3)
The Limits of Participation	120	(3)
Summary and Conclusions	123	(2)
A Compromised Participation?	125	(27)
Introduction	125	(2)
The Agricultural Process and Those Involved	127	(5)
The Role of Agricultural Research	132	(1)
Who are the Perceived Beneficiaries?	133	(1)
Who Funds Agricultural Research?	134	(2)
Accountability	136	(2)
Public Perceptions	138	(1)
Science and Society	139	(3)
The Political Agenda of Research Funders	142	(4)
Compromised Participation in Overseas Development	146	(1)
Compromised Participation in the UK	147	(2)
Concluding Comments	149	(3)
References	152	(6)
Index	158