How is public agricultural research investment allocated across Sub-Saharan Africa? Which crop production variables are associated with public allocations of agricultural researchers and research expenditures?
These questions are the subject of ongoing EPAR research investigating the factors associated with investment in public goods, including agricultural research and development (R&D). This interactive visualization draws on data from our ongoing analysis of public sector investment in agricultural R&D in Sub-Saharan Africa, and can help us to explore the relationship between public agricultural research funding and indicators of crop production, hypothesized to influence investment decisions.
Hover over specific data points on either the map or the figures to discover more information about what data and characteristics they represent. In order to focus the information presented in the charts on a particular crop, country, or region, either: 1) select a particular data point or crop category on the charts themselves by clicking on the desired selection (you can use CTRL to select multiple categories); or 2) select a crop, country, or region from the dropdown menus. To revert back to a prior selection or reverse your last action, use the undo and redo buttons in the bottom left of the visualization. Clicking the reset button or blank space in the selected chart will return the visualization to the standard view. To view the visualization in full-screen, see the Tableau page here.
The Visualization
This data visualization, produced using Tableau, presents data on indicators of public agricultural R&D investment and crop production in Sub-Saharan Africa, along with selected country characteristics. The interactive figures allow for the exploration of relationships between these various indicators for the year 2010-11 and 2013-14.
The data used to produce this visualization can be found on the EPAR Technical Report #339 project page. These data are sourced from the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research’s (CGIAR) Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Statistics Division (FAOSTAT). EPAR has also created another visualization which examines the year over year changes in crop specific investement from 2011 to 2014.
Variable Definitions*
| Country-Level Variable | Definition |
| Gross Domestic Product – (Current US$, Millions) | Value of a country’s total output of goods and services. |
| Gross Domestic Product Per Capita – (Current US$, Millions) | Value of a country’s total output of goods and services per person. |
| Total Agricultural Researchers (Full-Time Equivalent) | The number of full-time equivalent agricultural researchers employed at government, nonprofit, and higher education agencies (e.g., in the public sector) conducting research activities across all crops for a country. |
| Total Agriculture Research Spending (PPP$, Millions) | The amount spent on agriculture research salary-related expenses, operating and program costs, and capital investments by government, nonprofit, and higher education agencies (e.g., in the public sector). |
| Crop-Level Variable | Definition |
| Area Harvested (Ha) | The area in hectares from which a crop is gathered, excluding areas from which no harvest was gathered due to damage, failure, etc. |
| Export Quantity (Tonnes) | Aggregate exports in tonnes for a crop. |
| Export Value (Current US$, Thousands) | Aggregate exports in monetary terms for a crop. |
| Gross Production Value (Current US$, Millions) | Production, including seed, in physical terms multiplied by output prices at the farm gate level. |
| Production (Tonnes) | Domestic production in tonnes, both inside and outside the agricultural sector, for commercial and non-commercial uses. |
| Selected Crop Agricultural Researchers (Full-Time Equivalent) | The number of full-time equivalent agricultural researchers employed at government, nonprofit, and higher education agencies conducting research activities for a crop. |
| Yield (Kg/Ha) | Harvested production per unit of harvested area of crop products. |
*2011 and 2014 data are used for all variables.
By Kirby Callaway and Nida Haroon
Summarizing research by Kirby Callaway, Matthew Fowle, Pierre Biscaye, C. Leigh Anderson, and Travis Reynolds