ASTI PROGRAM AND ITS ACTIVITIES IN LATIN
AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
SEMINAR | INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TROPICAL AGRICULTURE
Cali, Colombia | February 2015
Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators
Sandra Perez
Research Analyst

ABOUT ASTI

Why monitor agricultural R&D resources?
 In order to feed a growing population and to address other
challenges (including climate change and food price volatility), it
is crucial that agricultural productivity is increased
 Agricultural R&D is a major contributor to productivity growth,
food security, and poverty reduction
 Quantitative data are essential to analyze trends in agricultural
R&D investments; identify gaps; set future investment priorities;
and better coordinate agricultural R&D across institutes and,
regions, and commodities.
 R&D indicators are also an indispensable tool when assessing
the contribution of agricultural R&D to agricultural growth and to
economic growth more generally.

 Collects institutional, investment and human resource
capacity data from complete set of national agricultural
R&D agencies
 Large network of national, regional and international
partners; led by IFPRI
 Close collaboration with national agricultural research
institutes
 Provides:
 Trends over time at country / regional levels
 Comparisons within and across countries / region
ASTI initiative

ASTI OUTPUTS
ASTI outputs
• Country factsheets
• Regional and global reports
• Datasets and online tools
• Analytical assessments
• Seminars and presentations
• Press releases/media outreach
• ASTI website (www.asti.cgiar.org)
ASTI indicators
• Institutional arrangements
• R&D spending by cost category
• Funding sources
• R&D staff by degree, gender, and age
• R&D focus by commodity and theme
• Output indicators
• Student population

 1997/1998 survey round
 2007/2008 survey round in 14 countries
 Close collaboration with IICA and national partners
 Data up to 2006
 Outputs
 Series of country briefs for South
America and Mexico (2008)
 ASTI–IICA Central America Report (2008)
 ASTI–IDB Regional Report (2009)
 Country profiles, datasets on ASTI
website
ASTI previous activities in LatinAmerica

 2006-2012 Survey round in Central America and
Caribbean funded by CIDA.
 South America and Mexico project:
 Updated agricultural R&D indicators are not available for
Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela
 The most recent year for which detailed indicator are
available for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico,
Paraguay and Uruguay is 2006
 On 2013 IDB approved the operation to fund 2007- 2013
survey round in the region
 Data collection ongoing with national partners
Status of currentASTI activities in LAC

 Since the 50s, researchers have attempted to
document the impact of research in science and
technology on agricultural production and
productivity.
 ASTI provides information to analyze and
understand productivity and technical change in
agriculture
 Three analytical studies ongoing under IDB project
ASTI grows: Developing an analysis
area

PRELIMINARY RESULTS
FOR CENTRAL AMERICA

Widespread underinvestment
 On average, the intensity ratio was
only 0.5% in 2012, half the 1-percent
target proposed by United Nations.
 Only 1 of the 6 sample countries
reached the target of 1 percent.
Intensity Ratio
(Agricultural R&D spending as share of AgGDP)
Spending trends by country, 2006–2012
Trends for Central America
Researcher trends by country, 2006–2012

 Insufficient and unstable funding, combined with high
donor dependency in some countries
 Inadequate human resource capacity in terms of quantity
and quality (low shares of PhD-holders)
 High staff turnover and aging of senior scientists
 Poor research infrastructure
 Lack of appropriately supportive policies
 Overall quantity and quality of research outputs
constrained in many countries
Main challenges in Central America

TOOLS, DATASETS, AND
NEW PHASE

ForthcomingASTI Outputs for LatinAmerica
 Country Factsheets
 Country Benchmarking Tool
(example: http://www.asti.cgiar.org/benchmarking/ssa)
 Interactive Country Pages
(example: www.asti.cgiar.org/countries)
 Data Download and Mapping Tool
 Redesigned ASTI tool

 Interactive representation of page-1 data in factsheets
 Links to factsheet, key indicators, institutional profiles
 Continuously being expanded
 Near future: graph data download tool
Interactive Country Pages

 Comparisons of key ASTI indicators across countries
 Rank countries by indicator
 Near future: benchmarking download tool
Benchmarking Tool

 Download data by indicator and by country
 Tool will offer more granular data than previous tool
 Graphing/mapping tool to be developed in 2015
 Structure allows for additional indicators/elements later on
Data download tool

 Emphasizing ASTI’s main mandate: data provider
 Cleaner look with more accessible structure
 Data/information organized by region
RedesignASTI website

 Update and expand its current datasets on agricultural R&D
investments and capacities through two consecutive survey
rounds in 2015 and 2017
 Include the collection of output indicators and more granular data on
R&D capacity and investments
 Conduct additional policy-relevant analysis of the structure,
composition, and R&D focus of research systems, agricultural
R&D investments, and capacities
 Further enhance dissemination and advocacy activities to
ensure uptake of key ASTI messages at the national and
regional levels to ensure uptake of key ASTI messages and
maximize impact and sustainability
New phase: 2015-2018 plans forAfrica

 Finalized data collection/analysis for
 9 countries in West Asia and North Africa
 6 Central American countries and Caribbean
 Data and tools released soon
 Data collection/analysis ongoing for
 4 countries in South Asia (Bangladesh just completed)
 10 countries South America plus Mexico
 Plans for a global update by late 2015
Ongoing: Geographical Expansion
BeyondAfrica

Agricultural S&TIndicators
THANK YOU
www.asti.cgiar.org