A comparative analysis of the structure and performance of Agricultural science and Technology policy system in Kenya and Uganda

Abstract

Despite the acknowledged importance of agricultural science and technology (AS&T), little is known about the structure and performance of AS&T policy system in developing countries. The structure and performance of this policy system in Kenya and Uganda was analysed using a preliminary ‘system components-shift effects’ framework. The system components comprised of agricultural research, extension, education and transboundary technology transfer. The impact of these components was modified by three-levels of shifteffects: policy environment, institutional arrangements and micro-conditions to give a 3x4 matrix of potential determinants of system structure. The structure was hypothesised to exist in three different generations: first, second and third. Uganda was presumed a first generation system and Kenya second. The potential system structure was separately related to three performance indicators, namely; technical efficiency, technical change and efficiency change using different econometric techniques in order to delineate important determinants of structure. The results indicated that the preliminary three-level framework can be used as an effective tool for delineating the structure of AS&T policy system in developing countries. Furthermore, the structure of the policy system differed between the first and second generation systems. At policy level, transboundary technology transfer was significant and positive only in second generation systems whereas agricultural education and research expenditures were important in both. At institutional level, intellectual property rights regulatory system had impact only in second generation systems, agricultural extension decentralisation had negative effect in first generation systems, whereas agricultural research coordination had no impact in both systems. At micro-level, literacy within the agricultural labour force was significant in second generation but not in first. However, domestic research outputs had significant impact in first generation systems but not second. The same applied to policies geared towards reducing transaction costs in accessing technologies. These results imply that generation specific AS&T policies should be encouraged instead of collective generic policies for all developing countries. Although lack of data precluded effective application of the three-level framework, this study offers opportunities for further research in this area, which has previously been driven by data and not ideas.