Introduction: Innovation and Technology Transfer in Agriculture

Abstract

Innovation has been an integral part of agriculture since its earliest days, when humans first began to make the shift from foraging to food production. It was only during the twentieth century, though, that private and public systems of formal research and development of innovations became common. With that came the need for formal systems to research, develop, and transfer technology from centers of discovery to end users. Continuing improvements in global food security, environmental sustainability, and economic development in the face of continuing population growth and climate change will require ongoing innovation and durable growth in agricultural productivity. Thus, a clear understanding on how to nurture innovation, from concept through development and all the way to the end user, is vital to our future. In this book we present a comprehensive treatment of the complex processes involved in the development and transfer of agricultural innovation.