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U.S. food, agriculture, and natural
resources research, teaching, and extension programs are funded by
the federal government, state and local governments, and other
public and private organizations and individuals. |
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As in health/medical research, the
federal government is the single largest funding source. But unlike
health/medicine, federal funding for food, agriculture, and natural
resource programs has been flat-lined for almost 35 years. Consider
these statistics: |
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Between 1970 and 2005, NIH
health/medical research funding increased by 882 percent. During
that same period, USDA funding for food, agriculture, and natural
resources research, education, and extension grew at an average
annual rate of just 1.85 percent. |
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But, in the last ten years, USDA
funding for State Agricultural Experiment Stations (Hatch)
actually dropped by $27 million and funding for the
Cooperative Extension Service (Smith-Lever) declined by $45
million. |
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Even the principal USDA food,
agriculture, and natural resources competitive grants program (the
National Research Initiative) received less funding in FY 2005
($180 million) than each of 25 states received in NIH grants
during that same year. |
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While no one takes issue with the
important funding increases provided to NIH in recent years, the
time has come to address the funding and organizational needs of the
entities that jointly provide the scientific and educational
foundation of America’s food, fiber, biofuels, and health systems. |
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CREATE-21 must be
enacted in order to... |
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Help food, agriculture,
and natural resource producers
secure the benefits of: improved animal, crop,
and forest quantities, qualities, and production efficiencies;
new/expanded markets; new bioproducts and new/improved
technologies; and sustainable production systems. |
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Provide individual
consumers and families with food/fuel
cost savings and health improvements
through: increased food and nutritional value; a safe, secure, and
affordable food supply; new biofuels; and the best quality
information to enable healthy food choices. |
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Boost the economic vitality of
rural and urban communities by:
greatly expanded leadership programs; and increased efforts to
stimulate entrepreneurship and business development. |
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Increase environmental stewardship through:
improved farm and forest production methods; decreased dependence
upon chemicals with harmful effects on people and the environment;
and finding alternative uses for agriculture wastes. |
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Lessen the risks of global
climate change on food, fiber,
and fuel production by creating: new ways to store carbon
and nitrogen in soil, plants, and plant products; and optimized
and integrated long-term weather forecasting, market
infrastructure, and production systems to respond to a changed
climate. |
