Frontiers in Agricultural Research Food, Health, Environment, and Communities (2003) / Chapter Skim
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1. Vision and Leadership
1. Vision and Leadership
Pages 15-26
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From page 15... ...
At the same time, important shifts in public attitudes have broadened the scope of agricultural research to include goals related to the environment, human health, and communities. Changing public attitudes and needs will create new market opportunities and will alter agriculture' s relationship to the food and fiber system, the environment, and the fabric of American society.
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Trade liberalization provides great opportunities for expanding US agricultural markets overseas, but it also allows aggressive competition from overseas producers. There is increased public sensitivity to and awareness of global social and economic challenges, including population growth, food insecurity, and poverty.
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In addition, an increasing percentage of the population is becoming susceptible to opportunistic infections, including foodborne pathogens, given the rising percentage of the US population over 65, a growing number of persons infected with HIV, and the growing numbers of recipients of bone marrow or organ transplants and patients receiving chemotherapy or immunosuppressive drugs (CAST, 1994; USDHHS,1998~. Increased movements of animals, people, and products are introducing new and unfamiliar risks into the food system.
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From page 18... ...
That trend began with establishment of the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetlands Reserve Program and continued in recent discussions on the conservation title of the farm bill (US Congress, 2002~. The lands are expected to play an increasingly important role in providing clean water, mitigating global climate change, conserving the world's biologic diversity, and maintaining rural amenities, such as open space and recreational opportunities.
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Scientists have identified genes that are involved in cold, drought, and saline tolerance; genes that control flowering and vegetative growth; genes that control reproductive functions and embryo development; genes that confer resistance to fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and viruses; and genes that coniIn farming-dependent counties, farming contributed a weighted annual average of 20% or more of the total labor and proprietor income in 1987-1989 (USDA, 1994)
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As the cloning of farm animals develops to commercial use, animal feeds are expected to be developed to match the genetics of the animals, and this should lead to more efficient growth and meat production, increased compatibility of meat with human dietary needs, and reduced waste and environmental pollution from animal production facilities. Advances in disease detection and control, including incorporation of vaccines and other preventives in feeds, will reduce the bacterial, fungal, and viral contamination of animal products, further increasing production efficiency and food safety.
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From page 21... ...
Emerging scientific approaches for exploring the interplay of social and biophysical processes for example, modeling approaches for assessing how changing economic conditions affect land-use decisions and ecologic conditions are expected to yield important insights into the determinants of environmental quality and the effectiveness of various policy approaches (e.g., Costanza, 1995; Matson et al., 1997; NRC, 1999; Parks, 1991; Sengupta et al., 2000~. The social and communication sciences have created a new human dimension for understanding food safety and the acceptance of foods.
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From page 22... ...
The broadening of agriculture's products has greatly expanded the customers of US agricultural research results beyond commodity producers. Examples of the new customers are producers of pharmaceutical products; sustainable-, alternative-, and organic-farming interests; a broad array of public and private natural-resource and land managers; conservationists; rural communities; and government agencies.
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The emergence of new kinds of research organizations and structures is now providing opportunities for REE agencies to explore different kinds of partnerships and research collaborations at the same time as it challenges conventional ways of carrying out research. Policy changes allowing patenting and licensing of products of publicly funded research (such as the Government Patent Policy Act of 1980 [US Congress, 19801)
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SUMMARY This chapter has offered a vision for agricultural research in context of advancing science and technology and changing public attitudes and needs. Globalization, trade liberalization, changes in consumer preferences, public concern about food safety and the environment, and changes in the relationship between agriculture and rural communities have altered the context in which agricultural research is conducted.
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96-517. Government Patent Policy Act of 1980.
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From page 26... ...
2002b. Historical Track Records, April 2002: United States Crop Production.
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