Educating the Next Generation of Agricultural Scientists (1988) / Chapter Skim
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CHALLENGES IN FOOD, FIBER, AND AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES
CHALLENGES IN FOOD, FIBER, AND AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES
Pages 13-20
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From page 13... ...
Agricultural industries supply materials for clothes, paper, medicines, oils, and thousands of other manufactured products. The labor force underlying this remarkable economic activity includes only 2.7 million farm workers, about 3 percent of the nation's labor force.
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From page 14... ...
First, the majority of active doctoral-level scientists, including agricultural engineers, soil scientists, plant breeders, animal scientists, entomologists, plant pathologists, veterinary scientists, and individuals trained in other applied and basic agriculture science fields, work on plant and animal production at the farm level. Problems in production agriculture include sustaining soil fertility, controlling pests, efficiently harvesting crops, breeding profitable new varieties of plants and species of animals, protecting animal health, and studying farm management.
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ISSUES IN AGRICULTURE Current and future issues in agriculture, which are often based on national and international commercial activity in food and fiber industries, affect career opportunities in agriculture in complex ways. Issues of growing prominence for science and technology include making economic adjustments, implementing public policy, sustaining internationally competitive industries, protecting resources and environmental quality, expanding commercial opportunities in new crops and value-added products, and understanding consumer behavior here and abroad.
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From page 16... ...
Other institutions affected by reduced business volume or underutilized capital investments are rural, regional, and agricultural banks; small businesses in rural towns; local government services, such as schools and clinics; and agricultural input, transport, processing, and marketing industries. Public Policy Government support of agricultural income and rural economic development will be augmented by greater attention to food safety and quality and resource conservation needs.
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From page 17... ...
agriculture and use productive capacity more fully, economic and geopolitical factors shaping international trade flows must be understood. Tight commodity markets and growing international competition have raised the issue of whether the United States should allow or encourage the transfer of its technology overseas, where it can be used to produce crops that compete with American exports.
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From page 18... ...
Land retirement programs can be put into effect in regions of the country that have surpluses and soil erosion or water pollution. In spite of progress in the last decade, there is a need to better understand how farm programs and policies and the economy influence farm management and resource conservation decisionmaking.
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Consumer Behavior Consumers demand high-quality, reasonably priced food. Nutritional qualities, safety, appearance, selection, convenience, and
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The results of future studies of demographics, local markets, lifestyles, diet and health, the distribution of income and consumer spending behavior, and the effects of public policies will help the agricultural sector anticipate change in consumer behavior.
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