Open-source innovation

The organization of agrifood R&D is likely to change. It used to be organized around centers of excellence - large chunks of concrete with good people inside. The model may change and I need to prepare myself and my students for the change. This is one reason I am rummaging through books, papers and websites in search of nuggets of useful insights.

The other reason for this search is a presentation I am committed to give on January 7th. The topic is "Knowledge and world food". I am still not quite sure what exactly I will say. I think the cast of characters will involve: Malthus, Sen, Mao, Haber & Bosch, Borlaug, Potrykus, Julian Simon, Ehrlich, Schultz, Fogel, Negroponte. The key message most likely will be that networked research capabilities are a good bet to avert Malthus' curse.

At present I am exploring two sources that may be useful. Leadbeater's book was reviewed very favorably in the Economist. Leadbeater has his own useful website. The other source I have to look into more closely is Yochai Benkler's "The Wealth of Networks".