An Analysis of the Source and Nature of Technical Change : The Case of U.S. Agriculture

This paper proposes a methodology to investigate the process of technical change with a focus on the dynamic effects of R&D investments on productivity and on the induced innovation hypothesis for both inputs and outputs. The approach builds on a non-parametric representation of the underlying technology. An application to U.S. agriculture is presented. By distinguishing between private and public R&D investments, the analysis provides useful insights into the source and the dynamic nature of technical progress