Evolution of Agricultural Research and Development since 1950: Towards an integrated framework

The purpose of this article is to take a broader historical view of shifting emphases in agricultural research and development since the 1950s. I contend that each wave of enthusiasm for a new approach grows logically from its antecedents and is moulded by the
broader sociopolitical environment encompassing the world's food problems and solutions. As experience deepens and the sociopolitical environment changes, both donors and scientists make new assumptions about proper approaches to agricultural research and development.