THE INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL-RESEARCH CENTERS - POISED FOR CHANGE

The International Agricultural Research Centers (IARCs) have developed a notable effort in the application of biotechnology to the Third Wor ld. Like other organizations that focus on developing countries, howev er, they are challenged with the need to create linkages with the comm ercial firms that have come to dominate biotechnology R&D globally, wh ile still preserving their mission. The author presents data from a 19 94 survey of the Centers indicating that, although their experience wi th R&D arrangements is limited, most expect the level of collaboration with firms to increase in the future. The survey also demonstrates a level of biotechnology expertise in the Centers which, along with thei r germ plasm resources and knowledge of conventional crop and livestoc k improvement techniques, makes them attractive as potential RGD partn ers. Results of the survey, and an analysis of changes in technology p olicy occurring in the developing world, suggest that the success of t he IARCs in forging alliances with firms requires that they reconsider their prevailing approach to intellectual property rights This does n ot, however, imply that they need to compromise their objective to ame liorate conditions in the Third World.