Agricultural R&D and Export Survival in ECOWAS Countries

This study analyzes the effects of agricultural R&D on the export duration of agricultural products in ECOWAS countries. Research on this subject did not examine the role of R&D. This study aims to fill this gap for ECOWAS countries. We used the PWP-TT model to estimate the effects of upstream and downstream R&D investments on agricultural export survival rates. The main finding is that both upstream and downstream R&D have positive effects on trade duration. However, the results show that these effects vary across countries and that more R&D investments in the agricultural sector are necessary for ECOWAS countries.