R&D spillovers to agriculture: Measurement and application

This paper documents research and development (R&D) spillovers between nati ons and between industries, discussing some theoretical and measurement iss ues. A new technique makes patent data more practical for economic uses, al lowing analysis of the industries of manufacture and sectors of use for inv entions. New technology introduced for use in the agricultural and food pro cessing sectors in 14 less developed and newly industrialized nations is tr aced, comparing the regional and industrial sources of these inventions acr oss time. An application shows that both international and interindustrial spillovers and to agricultural total factor productivity, and distinguishes between the direct and indirect effects of spillovers from public and priv ate, domestic and foreign sources. (JEL C67, O31, O47, Q16).