Opportunities Seized, Opportunities Missed: Differences in the Economic Impact of Bean Research in Five Latin American Countries

Over the past 20 years, the national systems in Central America and Ecuador have sustainably invested in research to improve varieties of common bean. Previous research has focused on estimating economic benefits realized by new adopters who replace traditional varieties with improved varieties (type I gains). However, recent literature has demonstrated the importance of also estimating the economic benefits realized by current adopters who replace old improved varieties (IVs) with new IVs (type II gains). This study provides estimates of adoption rates of improved varieties in four countries in Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua) and Northern Ecuador, and calculates the economic benefits realized by new adopters who replace traditional varieties with improved varieties (type I gains) and current adopters who replace old IVs with new IVs (type II gains)