The dissertation consists of three studies that seek to identify school caterer and women farmer constraints that have hindered the buy-local policy mandate of the Ghana School Lunch program, and to explore gendered agricultural technology adoption and contract participation strategies that could facilitate the policy mandate. The first study documents the constraints that have minimized caterer purchases of school food items from local farmers. The study presents an overview of the Ghana School Lunch Program and the buy-local policy mandate issued to school caterers. Survey data and descriptive analysis are employed to document and discuss the constraints that prevent school caters from purchasing from local farmers as well as the constraints faced by smallholder women farmers in supplying to school caters. The study subsequently discusses school caterers’ compensating variation of a hypothetical policy that requires them to firstly provide recommended portions of vegetables and protein, and secondly include fruits in the lunch of the schoolchildren. The second study analyses the factors underlying the probability that women smallholder farmers - compared to male farmers - adopt less a) improved seeds, b) fertilizer, c) herbicides and d) pesticides. The study further examines the sensitivity of gender differences in technology adoption to crop choice, particularly maize and legume, as well as the possible heterogeneity of technology adoption differences within rural and peri-urban communities. The adoption of these improved technologies is modeled using multivariate probit regressions. A gender gap is observed among legume farmers for improved seed and pesticide adoption. Moreover, the findings indicate that female maize farmers who have input into all cash crop production decisions are more likely to adopt improved seeds and pesticides. Among legume farmers, the results indicate that female farmers who are educated and have access to credit are more likely to adopt fertilizer, while female legume farmers who have a say in what the use of income generated from cash crop farming are more likely to adopt pesticides. These results imply that policy-makers and development practitioners in sub-Saharan Africa should consider strategies to target and increase educational, financial and productive assets of female farmers in order to close the gender technology gap and increase multiple technology adoption. The third study examines the use of farm-to-school contracts as a means to provide access to credit for women farmers in rural and peri-urban areas and facilitate the buy-local policy mandate. In particular, the study examines the factors influencing male and female smallholder farmers’ minimum willingness to accept (WTA) farm-to-school-lunch contracts for maize and cowpea beans. The minimum WTA simultaneously measures the decision to participate as well as the minimum price at which the smallholder farmer accepts the contract. Using sex-disaggregated data from a field experiment, a Tobit model is applied to explain the underlying factors influencing male and female smallholder farmer’s minimum WTA for a set of hypothetical maize and cowpea beans contracts. The results for the pooled sample indicate that the delivery at harvest option increases farmers’ minimum willingness to accept both the maize and beans contracts. The study further examines heterogeneity in the minimum WTA among smallholder farmers. The results in the female specification indicate that, the advance pay option lowers the minimum WTA for maize contracts. Additionally, women farmers who own non-farm business, compared to a male with a non-farm business, have a lower minimum WTA for the maize and beans contracts. The results suggest that if the government considers contractual arrangements between school caterers and local farmers to facilitate the buy-local policy mandate, an advance pay option to women farmers may yield lower premiums for contracted food items.

O estudo tem como objetivo diagnosticar a competitividade da cadeia de produção agroindustrial de fécula de mandioca, enfatizando o segmento de produção de matéria-prima e os determinantes do processo de inovação tecnológica. Especificamente, pretende-se identificar quais as principais restrições para melhorar a competitividade da cadeia; calcular um indicador de competitividade que relacione as variações de preços do produto e dos insumos, assim como as decisões estratégicas de políticas públicas e privadas; determinar como os investimentos em tecnologia têm influenciado os níveis de competitividade do segmento agrícola e identificar quais fatores explicam e determinam a trajetória tecnológica implementada na cadeia. Para atingir esses objetivos, utilizou-se um instrumental que permite realizar predições quantitativas dos efeitos da adoção de políticas públicas e de decisões gerenciais internas às firmas que atuam na cadeia. Essas predições foram baseadas num indicador de competitividade fundamentado no conceito de quase-renda, o qual foi estimado por meio de um modelo lógite ordenado. No estudo dos aspectos relacionados à tecnologia, além das abordagens que privilegiam os sinais de mercados, utilizaram-se aquelas que reconhecem a importância do caráter sistêmico e interdependente dos fatores determinantes da decisão de inovar. Com base nos resultados, pode-se concluir que a cadeia ainda não está suficientemente capacitada e organizada para transformar as potencialidades identificadas em verdadeiras oportunidades de mercado. Têm concorrido para isso a trajetória tecnológica seguida e o desempenho econômico observado no segmento agrícola. Esse segmento apresentou-se marginalmente competitivo, ou seja, a quase-renda gerada não foi suficiente para remunerar os fatores de produção específicos, utilizados no processo de produção, pelo menos no nível do custo de oportunidade considerado. Os principais fatores e condicionantes que estão restringindo a competitividade relacionam-se aos aspectos do lado da demanda; a limitações tecnológicas, tanto do segmento agrícola como do de processamento e a fatores estruturais e sistêmicos. As possibilidades de melhorar a competitividade vinculam-se a ações do lado da receita, ou seja, aumentos na produtividade média e/ou nos preços. Embora a capacidade de os produtores intervirem, de forma isolada, na trajetória dos preços seja mais remota, os resultados alcançados sinalizam que a variável preço assuma maior relevância no processo. Portanto, as políticas que reduzem a instabilidade nos preços são as mais seguras como estratégia de intervenção. Nesse sentido, a adoção de relações mais harmoniosas, que valorizem a forte dependência entre os elos da cadeia, promoverá ganhos competitivos. Quanto aos determinantes da trajetória tecnológica, destacam-se: as características intrínsecas da cultura, que lhe conferem rusticidade e adaptabilidade a condições ambientais adversas; a possibilidade de utilizar fatores de produção de baixo custo de oportunidade; o grau de apropriabilidade dos retornos dos investimentos em geração de tecnologia; o fato de ser uma cultura sobre a qual a quantidade de pesquisa ainda é relativamente baixa; os limites impostos pelo paradigma tecnológico vigente; o nível de demanda interna por mandioca e derivados, que ainda vem sendo atendido por uma oferta praticamente associada aos sistemas de produção tradicionais e a inexistência de grupos de interesse vinculados ao setor mandioqueiro. / This study is aimed at determining the cassava starch agro-industrial production chain competitiveness with special attention to the raw material production segment and the factors leading to technological innovation processes. It is specifically intended to identify the main constraints on gains in the production chain competitiveness, to compute a competitiveness index which relates the product’s price and the production costs, as well as public and private policy strategies, to determine how investments in technology have influenced the agricultural segment competitiveness, and to identify which factors explain and determine the production chain technological background. In order to meet these objectives, we used tools that allow quantitative predictions to evaluate the effects of public policies and companies’ internal managerial decisions. Such predictions were based on a competitiveness index underpinned by the quasi-rent concept computed through an ordered logit model. In the study of the technological aspects, besides the approaches that are based mainly on market signals, we considered the systemic and interdependent importance of factors leading to the decision to innovate. Results show that the production chain is not sufficiently able and organized to change the identified potentialities into real market opportunities, and the technological trajectory and economic performance of the agricultural segment have contributed to such a panorama. The agricultural segment showed to be marginally competitive, that is, the quasi-rent generated did not offset specific production factors, at least at the opportunity cost level considered. The main factors and conditions restricting competitiveness are related to characteristics related to the demand side, to technological constraints, not only in the agricultural segment, but also in processing, and to structural and systemic factors. Potential improvements in competitiveness are linked to actions on the revenue side, that is, in average productivity and/or prices. Although the possibility of individual growers interfering in price trajectories is remote, results indicate that the variable price should have greater relevance in the process. Therefore, policies that reduce price instabilities are the safest intervention strategies. Consequently, the adoption of more harmonious relationships, which value a strong interdependence of the chain links, will generate gains in competitiveness. The technological trajectory determining factors that stand out are the crop’s intrinsic characteristics of rusticity and adaptability to adverse environmental conditions, the possibility of using production factors of low opportunity cost, the suitable payoff level of investments in technology, the relatively little research carried out on the crop, the limits imposed by the technological paradigm, the standard domestic demand for cassava and its by-products, which has been satisfied by a supply almost completely associated to traditional production systems, and the non-existence of interest groups linked to the cassava sector.

Cerro Baul: A Wari Enclave Interacting with TiwanakuWari expansion to the extreme south of Peru is a phenomenon whose study began 20 years ago, with the discovery of a great arquitectonic complex at Cerro Baul. The excavations undertaken in the last 3 years have revealed that Cerro Baul was more than a military fortress; it was the most important political and religious center that Wari established in the only region where there is direct evidence of interaction with Tiwanaku, the altiplano state that established its colonial center in the middle Moquegua Valley. Based on the twelve radiocarbon dates from Cerro Baul, we can affirm that this interaction was maintained for over 200 years, a time that included periods of tension and others of cooperation.The current work analyzes the relations that the Wari colony on Cerro Baul maintained with its capital located in the Department of Ayacucho. Therefore, we document the characteristics of the monumental and domestic architecture and establish their relationship to forms found in Ayacucho. We also analyze the irrigation technology implemented by Wari in the zone and compare it with the agricultural techniques utilized prior to Wari expansion in Ayacucho and in Moquegua. Precedents for the irrigation technology in the Cerro Baul region are present in Ayacucho, but are not found in Moquegua. Both lines of evidence indicate that contacts between Cerro Baul and the capital were very strong, a position which is also supported by the extensive exchange of prestige goods. Apparently, the Moquegua colony articulated the Wari state's policies for interacting with the Tiwanaku neighbors. / La expansión wari hacia el extremo sur del Perú es un fenómeno cuyo estudio ha comenzado en los últimos 20 años, con el descubrimiento de un gran complejo arquitectónico en Cerro Baúl. Las excavaciones realizadas en los últimos tres años han revelado que Cerro Baúl, más que una fortaleza, fue un centro político y religioso wari muy importante, establecido como enclave en una región donde resulta evidente una directa interacción con Tiwanaku, el estado altiplánico que colonizó el valle medio del Osmore. En base a 12 fechados radiocarbónicos, se puede deducir que esta interacción se habría mantenido por un lapso aproximado de 200 años, tiempo en el cual habrían existido momentos de tensión y otros de cooperación.EI presente trabajo analiza las relaciones que tenía la colonia wari de Cerro Baúl con su capital, ubicada en el departamento de Ayacucho. Para tal fin se han documentado las características de la arquitectura -doméstica y monumental- y se han establecido sus relaciones con formas encontradas en Ayacucho y en otros centros regionales. También se ha analizado la tecnología de riego implementada por Wari en la zona y comparado con la tecnología agrícola de Ayacucho, notando claras similitudes con ésta y fuertes contrastes con la que había antes de la ocupación wari en Moquegua. Ambas líneas de evidencia indican que los contactos entre Cerro Baúl y la capital eran intensos, lo cual se observa también en el intercambio de bienes de prestigio, notándose que fue la colonia de Moquegua la que mantuvo los lineamientos de la política del Estado Wari en su interacción con Tiwanaku.

A cana-de-açúcar é uma das principais e dos mais antigos cultivos do Brasil, ocupando lugar de destaque na economia do país devido à produção de açúcar e etanol. Atualmente, São Paulo é o principal estado produtor, impulsionando a economia brasileira devido as suas grandes áreas plantadas. O uso de reguladores vegetais vem se tornando uma prática rotineira, objetivando maximizar o potencial produtivo das culturas, promovendo melhorias na qualidade, otimizando os resultados agroindustriais e econômicos. Giberelina é um hormônio conhecido como promotor de crescimento e alongamento das plantas. O ethephon é um maturador vegetal muito utilizado na cultura da cana, promovendo a liberação de etileno quando em contato com o tecido vegetal. O objetivo do trabalho foi estudar a eficácia dos reguladores vegetais giberelina (GA) e ethephon (CEPA) aplicados em diferentes fases do desenvolvimento inicial, na morfologia e aspectos tecnológicos da cana-de-açúcar. Para isso foram efetuados quatro experimentos. As concentrações aplicadas de GA (0; 10; 25; 50 e 75 mg L-1) e CEPA (0; 225; 450; 900 e 1000 mg L-1), foram iguais nos dois primeiros experimentos. O primeiro experimento foi realizado no Horto Experimental do Departamento de Ciências Biológicas da ESALQ/USP, com a pulverização dos toletes, com dez repetições e o segundo foi realizado na Estação Experimental da Syngenta em Holambra com a pulverização de plantas jovens (na soqueira), com quatro repetições, sendo que os parâmetros biométricos foram avaliados quinzenalmente até aos 90 dias após o plantio (DAP). O terceiro experimento foi efetuado em casa de vegetação no Horto Experimental do Departamento de Ciências Biológicas da ESALQ/USP, sendo que para a avaliação dos parâmetros tecnológicos no início do desenvolvimento, pulverizaram-se toletes com GA 50 mg L-1 e CEPA 900 mg L-1 além do controle, utilizando-se de cinco repetições. As amostras foram coletadas e congeladas, para posteriores análises tecnológicas. No quarto experimento, avaliou-se a aplicação dos reguladores vegetais in vitro, onde se aplicou GA (0; 2,5; 5,0; 7,5 e 10 mg L-1) e CEPA (0; 25; 50; 100; 200 mg L-1), com 5 repetições. Os resultados foram submetidos a análise de variância pelo teste F, e comparados pelo teste de Tukey à 5% de probabilidade. No primeiro experimento, a aplicação de GA nos toletes reduziu de forma geral o desenvovimento inicial das plantas, enquanto os tratamentos com CEPA apresentaram resultados promissores ao desenvolvimento inicial, quando os parâmetros avaliados foram os perfilhos. No segundo experimento, a aplicação de GA em soqueira aumentou a altura da planta, sendo que CEPA retardou a altura das plantas e incrementou o número de perfilhos. No terceiro experimento, nas avaliações tecnológicas, GA e CEPA afetaram temporariamente os teores de açúcares totais produzidos nas folhas. No colmo, CEPA e GA afetaram de forma geral os parâmetros tecnológicos, reduzindo as atividades das invertases e os açúcares redutores e totais e No quarto experimento, a aplicação in vitro de GA, reduziu o número de perfilhos, enquanto aplicação de CEPA incrementou o número de perfilhos e reduziu a altura das plantas. / Sugarcane is one of the major and oldest crops in Brazil, taking a prominent place in the economy because of the production of sugar and ethanol. Currently, Sao Paulo is the main producing state, boosting the Brazilian economy due to its large planted areas. The use of plant regulators has become a routine practice, aiming to maximize the yield potential of crops, improving quality, optimizing results for the agroindustry and economy. Gibberellin is a plant hormone known as a regulator of plant growth and elongation. Ethephon is a growth regulator widely used in maturing sugarcane cultivation, allowing the release of ethylene when in contact with the plant tissue. This work aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of plant regulators gibberellin (GA) and ethephon (CEPA), applied at different stages of early development, on the morphology and technological aspects of sugarcane. To that end, four experiments were performed. The concentrations of GA (0; 10; 25; 50 and 75 mg L-1) and CEPA (0; 225; 450; 900 and 1000 mg L-1), were equal in the first two experiments. The first experiment was conducted in the Experimental Garden of the Department of Biological Sciences, ESALQ / USP, by spraying of cuttings, with ten repetitions. The second was conducted at Syngenta\'s experimental station in Holambra, by spraying the young plants (at stumps) with four replicates, and biometric parameters were measured fortnightly until 90 days after planting (DAP). The third experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Experimental Garden of the Department of Biological Sciences, ESALQ / USP, and for the evaluation of technological parameters in early development, cuttings were sprayed with GA 50 mg L-1 and CEPA 900 mg L-1 besides the control, using five replicates. Samples were collected and frozen for later technological analysis. In the fourth experiment, the application of plant regulators in vitro was evaluated, where GA (0; 2.5; 5.0; 7.5 and 10 mg L-1) and CEPA (0; 25; 50; 100; 200 mg L-1) were applied with five replicates. The results were submitted to variance analysis by F test and compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. In the first experiment, the application of GA reduced, in general terms, the initial development of plants whereas treatments with CEPA had promising results in early development, regarding the tillering. In the second experiment, the application of GA increased plant height, while the CEPA retarded plant height and increased the number of tillers. In the third experiment in technological assessments, GA and CEPA temporarily affected the contents of total sugars in the leaves. In the stem, GA and CEPA affected, in general, technological parameters, reducing the activities of invertase as well as those of the reducing and total sugars. In the fourth experiment, the application of GA in vitro decreased the number of tillers, while the treatment with CEPA increased the number of tillers and delayed the plant height.

This exploratory study assessed attitudes and perceptions of smallholder farmers towards agricultural technologies in Kakamega County, Kenya. Through a mixed-methods sequential design, the study evaluated the key variables predicting farmer adoption of agricultural innovations. While social sciences provide a clear human-driven pattern explaining the process of choices and behaviors regarding technology use, there is still little clarity on the influences of adoption decisions among smallholder farmers in rural Kenya. Using the diffusion of innovations theory, the study explored the attitudes and perceptions of smallholder farmers toward technology adoption in seven sub-counties of Kakamega County (Lurambi, Ikolomani, Shinyalu, Mumias East (Shianda), Malava Butere, and Khwisero). The study design utilized a quantitative survey of 245 smallholder heads of households, followed by focus group discussions to further probe attitudes, values and practices that could influence technology adoption. The survey questionnaire tested two hypotheses: (H1) socio-demographic characteristics are related to agricultural technology adoption; and, (H2) farmer access to extension services was related to agricultural technology adoption. A binary logistic regression model was used to quantitatively estimate socio-demographic variables presumed to influence the adoption of agricultural innovations. Subsequently, four informal focus group discussions of 28 discussants was conducted across representative sub-counties (Lurambi, Shianda, Malava and Ikolomani), to elicit an in-depth understanding of farmers’ perspectives on technology adoption. The focus group participants included farmers recruited from among survey participants. The qualitative research instrument sought to answer three questions, (RQ1) what are farmer attitudes and perceptions towards agricultural technologies; (RQ2) what socio-cultural values influence farmers’ choice of agricultural technologies; and, (RQ3) what sources do farmers use for obtaining information on agricultural technology? Quantitative results included a principal component analysis (PCA) in which 14 attitudes questions were reduced to five conceptual clusters. These clusters included: challenges in accessing modern agricultural technologies (explained 19.09% of the total variance); effectiveness of agricultural technologies (11.88%); enjoyment of agricultural technologies (10.02%); social influence in use of technology (9.47%); and experience with agricultural technologies (8.13%). A logistic regression model indicated that independently age (.07), education (.10), and off-farm income (.08) were significantly associated with adoption of technology at the 90% confidence level when controlling for all other variables in the model. However, agricultural extension (.42) was not a significant predictor of agricultural technology adoption in this model. Qualitative results provided rich insights which enhanced findings from the survey data. Key insights in the thematic analysis included: farmers’ ambivalence about agricultural technologies; lack of trust in agricultural agents; low levels of agricultural technology knowledge; extension services as the main source of information dissemination to farmers; predominance of gender in determining agricultural technology adoption; and gender inequity in agricultural decision-making. In conclusion, the study results suggested that a mixed-methods approach was valuable in probing the nuances of farmers’ perceptions of agricultural extension and technology adoption among smallholder farmers. The results supported the following recommendations: the agricultural extension efforts could be more effectively structured in order to support the dissemination of agricultural information; the issue of gender should be adequately addressed by engaging male and female in collaborative agricultural efforts to help break the barrier of gender inequity; and future research would benefit from disaggregating public and private extension services as a more robust method for determining their individual effects in the promotion of agricultural innovations among smallholder farmers.

<p>We followed up with about 2,000 smallholder households in Senegal, two years after these households participated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed at reducing levels of aflatoxins in smallholders’ stored maize. In the initial intervention, treated households were provided with training on proper post-harvest practices, low-cost moisture meters for testing if maize was sufficiently dry to store, plastic tarps for drying maize of the ground, and hermetic (airtight) storage bags to mitigate aflatoxin development in stored maize. Using cross-sectional follow up data on aflatoxins levels and drying and storage practices from 2019 along with baseline demographic data from 2016, we estimate both the longer-term intention-to-treat (ITT) effects and the treatment on the treated (TOT) effects that the four inputs provided on households’ aflatoxins levels in stored maize. The ITT analyses estimate the intervention’s average effect by treatment group, but this may underestimate the true impact for households who complied with recommended post-harvest practices and adopted the recommended technologies. The TOT analyses estimate the local average treatment effects (LATE) of the intervention, that is its impacts on those who were driven by the intervention to follow best practices or use a given technology. Since the decision to follow these practices or adopt a technology was not random, we instrumented the usage decision with the exogenous, random treatment group assignment to get an unbiased estimate. Outside of our main models, we conducted a heterogeneity analysis to test if households with different characteristics benefit differently from the intervention. We interacted each treatment assignment with various household characteristics, including the woman’s level of involvement in the intervention. Additionally, we estimate the cost-effectiveness of providing training and a tarp, according to WHO guidelines for public health interventions. </p>

A degradação ou conservação das florestas tropicais dependem, em grande parte, da ação humana no meio ambiente. O presente estudo tem como objetivo geral avaliar de forma integrada os efeitos do uso da terra em fragmentos florestais na bacia do rio Corumbataí. Destaca-se, neste estudo, a importância do uso da interdisciplinaridade envolvendo, no caso, conhecimentos das Ciências Agrárias, Humanas e Biológicas. Sob tal perspectiva, este estudo pode ser considerado uma somatória de esforços visando à compreensão dos fatores de degradação ou conservação dos recursos naturais renováveis na bacia do rio Corumbataí. Os métodos utilizados envolvem o sensoriamento remoto (por meio da classificação de imagens de satélite) e sistemas de informações geográficas (SIG), para coleta e organização de informações sobre a cobertura do solo, bem como dados primários, para coleta e organização de dados do uso da terra. Os dados primários foram obtidos a partir do Levantamento Cadastral das Unidades de Produção Agropecuária ? LUPA, realizado pela Coordenadoria de Assistência Técnica Integral ? CATI. Para este estudo, as coberturas do solo estão relacionadas com a ocupação da superfície do solo, tais como água, floresta e plantação. O uso da terra está relacionado com os fatores socioeconômicos e tecnológicos, que podem determinar a conservação ou a degradação dos fragmentos florestais. A análise dos resultados está baseada na correlação entre uma série de variáveis que representam a variação ou não na conservação dos fragmentos florestais e os indicadores do uso da terra ocorridos no período de estudo. Os resultados encontrados demonstram existir diferenças regionais na bacia do Corumbataí em termos de: nível educacional do produtor rural, mão-de-obra utilizada nas UPAs, condição socioeconômica do produtor rural e, ainda, tecnologias utilizada nas UPAs. Análises realizadas evidenciaram que o emprego da tecnologia agropecuária nas UPAs contribui para a conservação dos fragmentos florestais na bacia do Corumbataí. / The degradation or preservation of the tropical forest depends mostly of human action on the environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the land use effects on forest fragments of the Corumbataí river basin, SP, by using integrated analysis. The present study emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach involving human, agrarian end biological sciences. In this way, the present study intends to understand the forces driving degradation or preservation of the natural resources of the studied area. The methods involve remote sensing (satellite images) and geographic information systems for collecting and organizing information related to land cover. In addition, land use data were also collected by using primary data and surveys. In this study, land cover is related to forest and plantations while land use is related to socioeconomic and technological factors that can lead to deforestation or conservation of the forest fragments. The analysis were based on the relationship among variables representing changes on the areas of the forest fragments and land use indicators from the period covered by this study. The findings revealed regional differences in the Corumbataí river basin in terms of: farmer?s educational level, rural worker employment, farmer?s socioeconomic status as well as farm technology. The results indicated that forest conservation in the Corumbataí river basin is mostly related to the use of technology in the farms.

在現今之知識世紀裡，智慧財產權已經成為一國技術進步程度的指標，因此一個國家的智慧財產權制度對於該國產業發展的影響力已愈來愈大。而我國擁有許多的農業試驗與研究機構，加上農業相關技術之法人機構，我國的農業研究投入資源與產出具有相當的規模，加上我國各農業試驗機構的努力，使得我國農業研究成果相當豐碩，在現今智慧財產權有價的時代裡，我國農業研究成果的正式智慧財產權數目如發明專利、新型專利、技術移轉件數、技術移轉權利金等卻相當低。 本研究透過訪談之初級資料搜集，加上文獻資料等次級資料，從產業部門、智慧財產權法律部門、政府部門、學術及研究機構等四角度切入，探討我國農業技術之智慧財產權管理政策與制度。主要的探討方面有五方面：對我國農業之智慧財產權觀念的看法、有關農業智慧財產權法律條件之保護程度、我國智慧財產權制度對於農業創新的影響、農業推廣制度對智慧財產權保護的影響以及農業技術援外對智慧財產權保護的影響等。 本研究發現，智慧財產權觀念在農業研究人員與產業界之間存在著很大的落差。我國現有的農業研究成果的智慧財產權保護程度不足，使得我國農業研究成果取得積極性的智慧財產權保護數量較少，加上農業技術肩負有農業技術援外的外交任務，因此我國智慧財產權制度鼓勵農業創新的效果較差。而我國的農業推廣制度自日據時代以來，即與農業研究相並行，因此具有服務農民的「公共財」精神，以技術擴散為原則，與智慧財產權的私有化觀念有所差異。 本研究建議，我國現行之農業技術成果智慧財產權管理政策與制度，必須加強與智慧財產權各相關議題進行緊密的連結；我國的農業推廣制度也須扮演銜接產業界與研究機構間的橋樑角色，教育農業推廣人員與農民，以鼓勵農業創新的發展；我國相關的法令規章與相關的配合管理制度也必須加快腳步，以因應技術的快速發展並符合國際間一致性的規範。

在現今以知識經濟為主的世界經濟潮流之下，尋求高附加價值的產業經營模式，已經成為各國政府與各類產業致力追求的目標。台灣的傳統農業以生產、銷售農產品為主，根據近幾年來的經濟統計資料和經濟發展趨勢都顯示，其所能創造的經濟價值已經相對低微；且在整體經濟環境改變之後，並未善用所擁有的知識、技術為產品注入較高的附加價值，以致使台灣的優質農產品淪為激烈競爭下的相對弱勢，實屬可惜。在遭受如此不利的衝擊、處於充滿挑戰的環境之下，台灣的傳統農業必須有所覺醒與改變。以台灣所具備的優勢農業科技研究條件，並擁有大量且優秀的農業技術為基礎，由生產農產品的傳統農業，進一步發展為以經營、管理、運用農業科技為主的知識型農業，將成為台灣傳統農業尋求轉型以及未來發展機會的重要契機。 要發展以經營、管理、運用農業科技為主的知識型農業，則必須先進行農業科技的商品化；農業科技能否成功地商品化並成功地銷售，乃至於進一步成功地產業化，其是否具備良好的經營模式設計將會是重要的關鍵。唯有具備良好的經營模式，農業科技才有機會成功地商品化，商品才能夠成功地進入市場，進而成功地建立市場地位，也才可能成功地進行產業化。 本研究即以農業科技商品化之經營模式為研究題目，探討台灣在發展農業科技商品化時，其經營模式之設計與需關注之重要議題。本研究共分為六章，依序為序論、文獻探討、台灣對農業科技之管理與運用現況、台灣發展農業科技商品化之挑戰與未來、農業科技商品化之個案研究、結論與建議；藉由以上各章節主題的安排，對研究題目與研究議題進行深入的探討。本研究除就現況進行分析與鋪陳相關理論外，另以個案研究驗證所述理論，以期對台灣農業科技商品化之經營模式規劃有深入的學習與瞭解。 / Presently, the Knowledge-Based Economy is the main trend of the world economy. Under the circumstances, to seek business models with high added value is the major job that each of governments and enterprises must do. The main activity of Taiwan’s traditional agriculture is to produce and sell agricultural products. According to the presentation of world’s economic trend and economic statistical data, the economic value of Taiwan’s traditional agriculture is very low. And after the change of economic conditions in Taiwan, we never add high value to agricultural products with our business experience and agricultural technology. Unfortunately, Taiwan’s excellently agricultural products become victims in this intensely commercial competition. In order to avoid the unfavorable environment and competition, we have to make some change in Taiwan’s traditional agriculture. There are advantaged conditions of agricultural research and a lot of excellently agricultural technology in Taiwan. So to develop the Knowledge-Based Agriculture, that it means to apply, to manage, and to operate the agricultural technology in agricultural operation, is the major way and opportunities that we can do to transform Taiwan’s traditional agriculture. If we want to develop the Knowledge-Based Agriculture, we have to commercialize our agricultural technology first. I think that the good business models will become the key points to influence the successful commercialization of agricultural technology and successful sale of technology-products. If we do not have good business models, we cannot commercialize the agricultural technology successfully, and cannot sell technology-products into markets, and cannot develop the industrialization of agricultural technology. The title of this research is “The Research on Business Model of Commercialization of Agricultural Technology in Taiwan.” I want to study the design of business models and some important subject matter of the commercialization of agricultural technology in Taiwan. There are six chapters in this research, and these are Ch.1 Introductions, Ch.2 Probing for Previous Documents, Ch.3 The Present Circumstances of Application and Management of Agricultural Technology in Taiwan, Ch.4 The Challenges and Opportunities of Commercialization of Agricultural Technology in Taiwan, Ch.5 The Case Study on Commercialization of Agricultural Technology, Ch.6 Conclusions and Suggestions. I will study the subject matter and concerns of this research deeply in the light of the chapters’ order. In this research, I will complete the work by analyzing present circumstances, explaining and illustrating related theories, testing and verifying theories by case study. I want to get deep learning and understanding in the design of business models of commercialization of agricultural technology in Taiwan through this research.

Accroître la productivité agricole et favoriser le développement agricole sont nécessaires pour atteindre l’autosuffisance alimentaire et réduire la pauvreté dans les pays d’Afrique subsaharienne. La littérature a identifié plusieurs obstacles au développement agricole, notamment des contraintes environnementales etinstitutionnelles, ainsi que des contraintes d’accès aux ressources agricoles et non-agricoles. Une question demeure cependant, celle des politiques à mener pour promouvoir le développement agricole dans cette région du monde. Cette thèse aborde trois questions importantes relatives au développement agricole en Afrique subsaharienne, et au Burkina Faso en particulier. Elle étudie l’impact des institutions et des politiques sur les contraintes rencontrées par les agriculteurs et les ménages, ainsi que les outils capables de favoriser l’émergence d’institutions qui participeront au développement agricole. Le premier chapitre de cette thèse étudie le rôle des normes et des institutions dans la formation des organisations paysannes, et la participation des femmes dans ces organisations. Je montre que les femmes sont moins susceptibles de participer aux organisations d’agriculteurs. Le niveau relativement faible de la participation des femmes dans les organisations d’agriculteurs s’expliquerait par leur manque d’accès aux ressources, y compris aux informations, ainsi qu’au manque d’incitations reçues par les femmes. Le deuxième chapitre étudie les conditions d’émergence des marchés fonciers agricoles dans la région des Hauts-Bassins dans la zone cotonnière du Burkina Faso. Je mets en évidence le rle joué par les marchés fonciers dans l’égalisation des dotations foncières dans la région Les marchés fonciers permettent aux migrants d’avoir accès à la terre dans cette région du Burkina Faso. Enfin, le troisième chapitre de cette thèse cherche à comprendre la faible utilisation d’engrais chimiques par les agriculteurs. La faible utilisation d’engrais chimiques s’expliquerait par des facteurs autres que la rentabilité, notamment le manque d’accès des agriculteurs aux engrais et au crédit. S’appuyant sur la littérature théorique en économie et dans les autres sciences sociales, ainsi que sur plusieurs bases de données, cette thèse contribue à la compréhension des contraintes et opportunités pour le développement agricole en Afrique subsaharienne. / Increasing agricultural productivity and fostering agricultural development are necessary for agriculture to play an effective role in food security and poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa. The literature has identified several barriers to agricultural development, including environmental constraints, institutional constraints, as well as resource constraints. However, how to promote agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa remains a challenging issue. This dissertation addresses three important issues relating to agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly in Burkina Faso. The dissertation considers how institutions and policies can have an impact on the constraints faced by individual farmers and households, and how to foster the emergence of institutions that will work for agricultural development. The first chapter of this dissertation investigates the role of norms and institutions in the formation of farmer organizations, and women’s participation in farmer organizations. The findings indicate that female farmers are less likely to participate in farmer organizations. The results suggest that the relatively low level of female participation in farmer organizations is explained by women’s lack of resources including information as well as a lack of incentives to participate. The second chapter studies the emergence conditions of land markets in the Hauts-Bassins region Burkina’s cotton zone. The chapter’s findings highlight the equalizing role of land markets in this region. Land markets enable migrants to gain access to land in this region. Last, the third chapter of this dissertation seeks to understand the relative, apparent low use of chemical fertilizers by farmers. The low uptake of chemical fertilizers might have been driven by factors other than profitability, including a lack of access to fertilizers and credit. Building on the theoretical literature in economics as well as the literature in other social sciences, and on various datasets, this dissertation contributes to enhancing the overall understanding of the issues faced by farmers in Sub-Saharan African countries and points towards further research in the economics of agricultural development as well as in the general economic literature.