Funding and managing agricultural research in a developing country

Purpose - To illustrate problems a developing country faces in generating and managing agricultural R& D funds and to portray some practical solutions to these problems. Design/methodology/approach - A case study of cocoa and coconut R& D in Papua New Guinea is used to illustrate the problems and solutions associated with funding and managing agricultural R& D in a developing country context. Findings - Several problems associated with donor funding, unreliability of funding and corruption are outlined. Solutions to these problems include fund diversification, commercial activity by the R& D provider to generate their own source of R& D funds, changes to national legislation to provide greater security of national funding for agricultural R& D and introduction of some performance-based incentives for scientists. Research limitations/implications - Being a case study limits the ease of generalizing its findings. Practical implications - The issues of generating R& D funds and their governance are widespread problems in developing countries. This study shows some practical solutions to these problems. Originality/value - This paper offers some practical solutions and insights about improved management of agricultural R&D funds in a developing country. Its findings have possible relevance for many other developing countries.