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The effect of intellectual property rights on agricultural productivity

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  • Mercedes Campi

Abstract

This paper explores how the strengthening of intellectual property (IP) protection affects agricultural productivity in a panel of countries for the period 1961-2010. Using an index of IP protection for plant varieties, we study the effect of stronger intellectual property rights (IPRs) on cereal yields and two different types of cereals: openpollinated (wheat) and hybrid (maize). We found that the strengthening of IPRs has a positive effect on productivity of cereals for high- and low-income countries. But, we found no significant effect for middle-income countries. We also found that becoming a member of the TRIPS negatively affects cereal yields. Finally, we found evidence of the existence of non-linearities in the effect of IPRs on agricultural yields, which confirms a threshold effect of IPRs that also varies for countries of different income level. The findings support the hypothesis that country specificities are important in determining the effect of IPRs and imply that there is no unique system that fits all.
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  • Mercedes Campi, 2017. "The effect of intellectual property rights on agricultural productivity," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 48(3), pages 327-339, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:agecon:v:48:y:2017:i:3:p:327-339
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/agec.2017.48.issue-3
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    Cited by:

    1. Minyu Zhou & Ian Sheldon & Jihyun Eum, 2018. "The role of intellectual property rights in seed technology transfer through trade: evidence from U.S. field crop seed exports," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(4), pages 423-434, July.
    2. Mercedes Campi & Alessandro Nuvolari, 2021. "Intellectual Property Rights and Agricultural Development: Evidence from a Worldwide Index of IPRs in Agriculture (1961-2018)," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(4), pages 650-668, April.
    3. Campi, Mercedes & Dueñas, Marco & Fagiolo, Giorgio, 2020. "Specialization in food production, global food security and sustainability," Working papers 30, Red Investigadores de Economía.
    4. Appau, Samuelson & Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell & Trinh, Trong-Anh, 2021. "The long-term impact of the Vietnam War on agricultural productivity," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    5. Charity Ruramai Nhemachena & Johann F. Kirsten & Binganidzo Muchara, 2019. "The Effects of Plant Breeders’ Rights on Wheat Productivity and Varietal Improvement in South African Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-16, June.
    6. Doanh, Nguyen Khanh & Gam, Nguyen Thi & Heo, Yoon, 2022. "The impact of intellectual property rights protection on trade: The role of a “third country” in market power and market expansion effects," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 46(1).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital
    • O50 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - General
    • Q19 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Other

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