Jonathan Kydd's analysis of the history of maize research in Malawi argues successfully that the reasons for the low rate of adoption of high yielding maize varieties lie in an insufficient appreciation of local processing and storage requirements. The analysis, however, raises further questions. In particular, Kydd's conclusion that maize research by multinational seed corporations might be more effective than public sector research is not supported by adequate evidence. The existing evidence suggests that though these corporations are likely to play an increasing role in developing counties, they are unlikely to direct their efforts to the needs of the poor.
