NASDA Highlights Farm Bill Recommendations-Research and Information

News Date March 20, 2007

         NASDA is presenting farm bill highlights each week in NASDA News as Congress gears up for consideration of the 2007 farm bill. NASDA's recommendations and a summary of highlights are posted on the NASDA website at http://www.nasda.org/fb2007. This week the highlights focus on research and information.
         Public investments in agriculture research have paid large dividends to society and the global, high-tech, environmentally-sensitive era we have now entered requires support of public research. The nation's land grant universities must remain a strategic resource for agriculture and the general public. They must be used wisely and fully support the needs of an ever expanding domestic and worldwide population. The past several years have seen an erosion of public support for agricultural research. While private contributions to the research effort have been on the increase, federal support has been eroded by some 20 to 30 percent during the past five years. This is a trend that must be stopped. Food and fiber are essential to all people, and the U.S. must ensure its productive capacity is secure.
         Land grant universities must remain a strategic resource for agriculture and the general public. These universities should prepare our nation's students in agriculture and related fields to function in today's society and meet the needs of our food, fiber, and fuel systems. Land grant institution faculty must be prepared and equipped to teach and recruit students in agriculture related fields.
         Key recommended actions:
         * Congress should increase federal funding in research, extension, and education programs for agriculture, bioenergy, fiber, nutrition, food safety, market development, aquaculture and natural resources during the next five years.
         * Congress should fund competitive grants programs like the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS) and USDA's Organic Research Initiative, as proposed in the 2002 farm bill. Congress should increase funding for the Organic Transitions Program at the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES).
         * Congress should continue funding the national Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the organic production and market data collection and tracking authorized in the 2002 farm bill.
         * Create a concurrent cooperative research program (through USDA's CSREES and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and state program oversight) to assure that control methods are being developed in the event that eradication programs fail and / or emergency program funds cannot reach the goal of eradication.
         Effective agricultural policy should be based on accurate and objective data that describe the structure and operation of agricultural enterprises and measure their economic health.
         Key recommended actions:
         * Proper data are needed both to administer programs and measure their performance. Adequate resources must be provided for conducting censuses of agriculture and for additional research to improve response, ease data reporting, and enhance data quality.
         * State agriculture programs need access to U.S. Customs data on plant, animal, and food entries to enhance each state's ability to prevent introduction of such harmful pests and diseases, to enable directed and preventive programs against pests and diseases and to provide better focus on food safety issues. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak)