| reeding for disease resistance is one form of productivity-enhancement research that can also potentially contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainability goals. As agricultural research funds become increasingly scarce and investment alternatives multiply, knowledge about the economic impact of such research becomes useful in resource allocation decision making. This thesis evaluates the economic impact of disease-resistant bean varieties (RVs) in northern Ecuador using farm-level survey data from 2006. Regression analysis of the farm-level benefits associated with red mottled RVs reveals that, when high levels of disease pressure are present, adopters enjoy 40% higher yields and 20% lower per-unit production costs than do non-adopters. When high levels of disease pressure are absent, resistant and local varieties perform similarly but RV adopters apply 43-74% less chemical inputs than do non-adopters. Economic impact assessment results under a baseline scenario indicate that red mottled RVs have an ex post internal rate of return (RR) of 29% and a net present value (NPV) of... |
