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Abstract
This paper reviews the literature on the subject of the role of improved
agricultural technology in alleviating poverty in developing countries. Focusing primarily
on improved cultivars produced by the international agricultural research system, it shows
how new technology combines with other socioeconomic and institutional factors to
determine poverty alleviation outcomes. Technology’s role in alleviating poverty is both
indirect and partial; technology alone cannot overcome poverty, nor can continued
poverty be blamed on improved technology.
The review is organized into three parts in addition to the introduction and
conclusion. Part I introduces poverty (Chapter 2) and the achievements of agricultural
research (Chapter 3).