National system of agricultural research and the analysis of investments in the agribusiness sectorial fund

Abstract

This article analyzes the history, structure and financing of the National Agricultural Research System (SNPA), emphasizing the values of CT-Agronegocio, the sectoral fund focused on the promotion of agricultural R&D activities. The evolution of the system, from its beginnings in the nineteenth century up to the present, is analyzed with the incorporation of innovation and the creation of the Agricultural Innovation System (SIA), which also considers the diversity of agents that works together in the process of innovation and research. The SNPA achieved good results based on a strong financing structure, including the private and the public sectors, where the latter emphasized applied research conducted through Embrapa and the Funds Sectorial. However, the participation of the Sectoral Funds is still considered not very expressive in the face of the dynamism of the agricultural sector, but important for the market signaling of the government's performance in agricultural R&D.