Technological Change and Productivity Growth in Livestock Systems: Denmark, New Zealand and Uruguay (1870–1970)

By the end of the nineteenth century, Denmark, New Zealand and Uruguay enjoyed a virtuous integration into the world economy as small, peripheral, export-oriented countries with natural aptitudes for producing and exporting agricultural goods, mainly from livestock rearing. Despite these similarities, the three countries experienced different trajectories in GDP per capita, the volume of exports, and agricultural productivity until 1970. This article aims to study the dynamics of technological change from a neo-Schumpeterian perspective in the livestock systems of the three countries and their impact on agricultural growth from 1870 to 1970. Land and livestock productivity indices are estimated to measure the performance of each country's livestock system. Results verify the existence of differences in the growth rates and levels of productivity of land, meat and dairy in the three countries. Diverse agents (government, academia and the productive sector) and their links were fundamental for adapting to a new technological paradigm and for promoting innovation processes related to land improvements in the livestock systems.