Agriculture and Technology in Developing Countries: India and Nigeria

"It offers important insights on the current debate on fertilizer subsidies. "
—Deccan Herald
"Information discussed here should be pertinent in many other developing countries with different social, economic, and state structures. Extensive notes; adequate references; useful index. Of interest to policymakers, particularly in economics dealing with agriculture and developing issues, and recommended for all agricultural library collections with holdings on developing areas of the world. Advanced undergraduates and up. "
—Choice
"An excellent contribution to literature on the political economy of the agricultural technology in developing countries. It will be of great interest to policy-makers, bureaucrats and particularly development economists. "
—2001, Incorporating Science Today
"All in all, Sumit's book is a very good one. It touches on a wide variety of developmental issues while providing at the same time an in-depth and expert investigation into the problem of integration between agriculture and technology in the developing world, India and Nigeria notably. "
—West Africa Boosting food production remains the chief concern of many developing countries. Modern technology and innovative farming techniques play pivotal roles in helping these fledgling nations reach self-reliance, growth and security. Yet technological advances don't necessarily guarantee good results. In Agriculture and Technology in Developing Countries, development economist Sumit Roy examines the legislation of these new technologies in India and Nigeria and details the very different results each has experienced.
Divided into four sections—agriculture and technology, the input of chemical fertilizers, the diffusion of technology, and technology and food production, Roy explores the food production problem with a multidisciplinary economic analysis. He uncovers the ways in which the state shapes and implements technology policies and, ultimately, asks some hard questions about the strengths and limitations of such interventions.
Agriculture and Technology in Developing Countries provides a number of powerful insights into the capacity of the state—given its socio-economic context—to successfully integrate technology of any kind. Professors and students of development as well as policymakers will find this book most appealing.