Institutional Change and Effective Financing of Agricultural Research in Latin America

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruben G. Echeverria ◽  
Eduardo J. Trigo ◽  
Derek Byerlee
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Institutional Change ◽  
Agricultural Research

Selection of the components of a synthetic variety of Andropogon gayanus

1986 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 629-633
Author(s):  
B. Grof
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Personal Communication ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Northern Nigeria ◽  
Andropogon Gayanus ◽  
Bunch Grass ◽  
San Martín ◽  
Selection Of

Andropogon gayanus Kunth var. bisquamulatus Hack, is a polymorphic bunch grass, widely distributed throughout most of the tropical and subtropical savannahs of Africa, south of the Sahara in areas with a long dry season. This grass was introduced into the Colombian Llanos from the Shika Agricultural Research Station, northern Nigeria, in 1974. Subsequent to its introduction, a series of agronomic trials were initiated by Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) at the Carimagua Research Centre and various national research institutions in Latin America to evaluate the potential of A. gayanus, primarily in the vast Ultisol and Oxisol savannah regions of the continent. As a result of further evaluation at a number of locations, accession A. gayanus var. bisquamulatus CIAT 621 was released in 1980 in Brazil as cv. Flanaltina and in Colombia as cv. Carimagua 1. During 1982–3 Peru, Venezuela and Panama subsequently released the same accession under the cultivar names of San Martin, Sabanero and Veranero, respectively. It is estimated that 168000 ha have been sown with A. gayanus in Brazil since 1982 (J. E. Ferguson, C. Sere and R. de Andrade, personal communication). Smaller areas have been established in other countries.

Presidents, Parties, and Referenda in Latin America

2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1159-1187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angélica Durán-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Institutional Change ◽  
Policy Change ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Agenda Setting ◽  
Executive Power ◽  
The Past ◽  
Setting Process

Over the past two decades the use of referenda has spread throughout Latin America, and 39 referenda have taken place since 1990. For some observers, referenda can improve accountability, promote participation, and reduce corruption. For others, given the strong tradition of Latin American presidentialism, referenda can be manipulated by populist presidents attempting to bypass unpopular representative institutions such as congresses or to bolster their popularity. This article provides a more nuanced view of referenda, arguing that presidents cannot always manipulate referenda to increase their power. The effect of referenda on executive power varies depending on the scope of the referenda, that is, whether they aim at institutional change or, alternatively, at policy change. Moreover, the agenda-setting process and the role of political parties in referenda campaigns also mediate the effect of referenda on executive power. Although referenda do not necessarily enhance executive power, the risks of presidential manipulation are strong, and thus referenda should be carried out taking sufficient precautions.

scholarly journals Institutional Change in Latin America: External Models and their Unintended Consequences

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt Weyland
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Institutional Change ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Exogenous Factor ◽  
External Borrowing ◽  
First World

Influential theories claim that institutions shape actor behavior but are sustained by these actors’ behavior. How do scholars escape from this trap of endogeneity? This article highlights a partially exogenous factor: institutional models and blueprints. Since these ideational schemes do not emerge from actor preferences, they play an independent, irreducible role in institutional creation. In fact, Latin America has borrowed many blueprints from the “First World.” But transferred to a different setting, these imported models often fail to command firm, reliable compliance and do not operate well. Therefore, informal mechanisms arise and guide behavior. External borrowing thus produces persistent disjunctures in institutional development.

scholarly journals International Coconut Genetic Resources Network (COGENT): Its history and achievements

CORD ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (02) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Pons Batugal
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Genetic Resources ◽  
International Development ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Plant Genetic Resources ◽  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Ex Situ

The International Coconut Genetic Resources Network (COGENT) is a global research network organized by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) in 1992 with support from member countries, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), partner institutions, donor agencies, and by regional and international development organizations.                           In the last 12 years, COGENT has been fully operational with 38 member coconut producing countries in five regions (South Asia; Southeast and East Asia; South Pacific; Africa and the Indian Ocean; and Latin America and the Caribbean). It has successfully developed and disseminated to coconut breeders and curators worldwide the International Coconut Genetic Resources Database (CGRD). The CGRD contains characterization data and some pictures of 1,416 accessions which are conserved by national programmes in 28 sites in 23 countries. To further secure conserved germplasm, a COGENT multi-site International Coconut Genebank has been established to conserve 200 important accessions in each region. Coconut varieties with multi-purpose uses are being identified, documented and promoted. The performance of promising 38 high-yielding hybrids are being evaluated in a multilocation  trial involving four African and three Latin America/Caribbean countries to identify suitable varieties and hybrids for resource-poor farmers. Farmers’ varietal preferences in 15 countries are being evaluated. Diversity-linked income-generating activities are being used as a strategy to promote in situ and on-farm conservation and germplasm utilization have been initiated in 15 countries. Protocols for in vitro embryo culture, cryopreservation, morphometric and molecular marker-based methods for locating and characterizing diversity; pest risk assessment and germplasm health management are being developed, tested and upgraded. Strategies and techniques for farmer participatory research, collecting, characterization and ex situ and in situ conservation are being refined.   To strengthen the coconut research capability of COGENT member countries, the COGENT Secretariat and IPGRI have organized 39 country need assessment missions  and conducted 41 workshops and meetings involving 994 coconut researchers to share information and technologies, discuss issues and common problems and opportunities and how to address them; conducted 40 training courses involving 765 participants from 41 countries; supported 274  research and training/capacity building activities  in 30 countries; and led the establishment of the Global Coconut Research for Development Programme (PROCORD). IPGRI and COGENT's current priority involves the further promotion of more effective conservation and use of coconut genetic resources, both regionally and globally.

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