Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture No. 1/06
Impure public goods and agricultural research: toward a blend of theory and practice
Dana G. Dalrymple
U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC, USA
Abstract
Public agricultural research, as it increasingly interacts with
private research and adopts some of its characteristics, is more and
more a provider of impure public goods. This shift brings both benefits
and limitations for society. It also presents some conceptual
complexities, because public goods theory has largely been developed in
terms of the polar cases of the public and private sectors. The
challenge is to try to stake out and define an intermediate conceptual
territory that more fully reflects reality. This paper attempts to do
so by utilizing a relatively simple diagram and drawing on relevant
literature to discuss five common types of goods and examining their
interrelationships and joint products. While focused on agricultural
research, the framework is relevant to a wider range of public
goods.
Keywords: public goods, impure public goods, global public goods, agricultural research policy, science policy
JEL: H 40, O 30, Q 16
Vol. 45 (2006), No. 1: 71-89