Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) provides internationally comparable data on institutional developments and investments in agricultural research and development worldwide. The initiative, led jointly by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR), compiles data from original surveys and sources like the OECD and U.S. National Science Foundation. It covers both developed and developing countries.
Use Cases
- Analyze trends in agricultural R&D expenditure by country and implementing agency category (Government, Nonprofit, University, Business).
- Model the relationship between research personnel data and expenditure figures across different institutional types.
- Compare public sub-total R&D investment (Government, Nonprofit, University) against business sector investment for policy formulation.
- Assess geographic and institutional coverage biases in agricultural R&D data collection for developing countries.
Strengths
- Data is internationally comparable, facilitating cross-country analysis.
- Covers four institutional categories: Government, Nonprofit, University, and Business.
- Compiles data from both original survey work and established sources like OECD and U.S. National Science Foundation.
Limitations
- University category data is problematic, relying on estimated percentages (10-50%) of faculty time spent on research.
- Business R&D data coverage is described as a major challenge, especially in developing countries where surveys are not in place.
- PhD student contributions to research are usually not covered in the personnel data.
Provenance
- Source
- International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR), with data from OECD, U.S. National Science Foundation, and national/regional agencies.
- Collection Method
- Compilation, processing, and original survey work focused on agricultural R&D expenditure and personnel.
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Worldwide, covering both developed and developing countries.