Hybrid potato breeding for smallholder farmers in developing countries: four models for public-private collaboration

Abstract

We explore how the potential of hybrid potato breeding can be harnessed for smallholder farmers in low-income countries, using economic theories developed for the governance of commons (or common-pool goods). Despite the great potential of hybrid potato breeding, it comes with major challenges that need to be overcome by public-private collaboration. We explore the strengths and challenges of four possible models for public-private collaboration of how hybrid potato breeding can be made available for smallholder farmers in low-income countries: the charity model, the pre-competitive research model, the breeding consortium model, and the project model. It should be noted that these four models are not mutually exclusive. The four models show that there are different ways of institutionalising public-private partnerships while each of these models have specific strengths and weaknesses when it comes to ensuring smallholder access to innovation. It can be argued that the project model is most likely to ensue if no concerted action is taken to institutionalise the access to hybrid breeding for smallholder farmers. This exploration of the four models of public-private partnerships can be used as a starting point for the public and private sectors to come together and discuss how they can combine their forces for the benefit of smallholder farmers around the world. We are convinced that the way these models will be operationalised will result in much more complex and nuanced collaborations, and involve other aspects that we have not taken in consideration.