Research and extension (R&E) are vital ingredients in promoting robust agricultural growth and development. It is through R&E that innovations are generated and their results disseminated to farmers and fisherfolk. Not surprisingly, a study by the International Food Policy and Research Institute in 2000 revealed that among investments in agriculture, those in R&E yielded the highest returns (48 percent for research and 62 percent for extension).

In the Philippines, agricultural technological innovations are generated foremost by educational research institutions, like state universities and colleges (SUCs), or government-funded research institutions, including the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and Philippine Carabao Center (PCC). As for extension, the dissemination of those technological innovations and new knowledge in agriculture has become the main function of local government units (LGUs).