Title: Building capabilities to catch up with the biotechnological paradigm. Evidence from Argentina, Brazil and Chile agro-food systems

Authors: Graciela E. Gutman; Pablo Lavarello

Addresses: Centre on Rural and Urban Studies (CEUR), National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Saavedra 15, 6° P, (1086), Buenos Aires, Argentina. ' Centre on Rural and Urban Studies (CEUR), National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Saavedra 15, 6° P, (1086), Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract: Latin American countries have been historically characterised by production structures highly reliant on natural resources. The recent diffusion of modern biotechnologies has reinforced this specialisation pattern. The cases of Argentina, Brazil and Chile show that, with different rates, scopes and directions, important advances have been made in the adoption of biotechnological products and processes associated with the specificities of their natural resource endowment, their industrial structure, their science and technology infrastructure, and the institutional and public policy context. This article discusses the opportunities these new technologies offer for changing the absolute (or comparative) advantages in the agro-food systems of those countries.

Keywords: biotechnological paradigms; agrobiotechnology; agro-food systems; capabilities; agriculture; farming; food industry; Argentina; Brazil; Chile; production structures; natural resources; biotechnology; specialisation patterns; biotechnological products; biotechnological processes; industrial structures; science infrastructures; technology infrastructures; institutional policies; public policies; new technologies; absolute advantages; comparative advantages; economic development; Latin America; technology policies; learning; intellectual capital; clusters; high technology industries.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLIC.2012.049616

International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, 2012 Vol.9 No.4, pp.392 - 412

Published online: 04 Sep 2014 *

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