Governments should take the lead to identify areas that overlap public- and private-good research and facilitate negotiation of flexible agreements to manage joint design, conduct and financing of research. Mechanisms for equitable benefit sharing need developing in a manner that encourages African entrepreneurs to engage in enterprises that result in new rural non-farm income-generating opportunities.

It should be recognized, however, that there will always be a public-good agenda (genetic resource conservation and management, agricultural and S&T policy research, etc.) for which the private sector will have no incentive to become involved. Hence public-private partnerships may not be a panacea to offset declining public funding of all agricultural research and development. There is also a need for transparent and attractive incentive and reward systems for scientists, to encourage them to pursue such partnerships.

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