Economics of Protein Improvement Programs in the Lower Income Countries

Lyle P. Schertz

No 338403, Miscellaneous Publications from United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service

Abstract: Excerpts from the report Introduction: Protein malnutrition is widespread in many of the Iower income countries. This phenomenon has been recognized for many years. But, it has been only in recent years that there has been substantial interest in plant breeding and cereal fortification programs focused on this problem. This manuscript is an overview of the primary economic aspects of these programs. It discusses the sources and uses of protein, the role of income, and the benefit-cost dimensions of cereal breeding and fortification strategies aimed at improving the adequacy of protein consumption in the lower income countries. Several factors account for increased interest in specific programs of breeding and fortification. One of the primary ones is the "Green Revolution." This phenomenon, largely confined to Asia, has given increased confidence in the potential payoffs from well-directed research. The theme of this paper is that protein problems must be considered in the context of overall development. Total resources are scarce and competition to use resources for activities other than improving the quality of diets will be intense. Thus, we must be concerned with the benefits and the costs of protein strategies for nutrition to be able to command a significant share of the resources.

Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; Crop Production/Industries; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety; Livestock Production/Industries; Production Economics; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 56
Date: 1971
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:uersmp:338403

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.338403

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