Plant breeding patents, the ownership of biological innovation and associated intellectual property rights (IPR) are the subject of increased attention worldwide. Particularly relevant to the field of biotechnology, this book presents the perspectives of policy-makers and economists on such issues.

Innovation in agriculture differs from innovation elsewhere in the economy in several important ways. In this chapter we highlight differences arising from (a) the atomistic nature of agricultural production, (b) the spatial specificity of agricultural technologies and the implications for...