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National coalition creates unified voice for agricultural research
By Victor L. Lechtenberg, Dean of Agriculture
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Vic Lechtenberg, Dean of Agriculture
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For the past 15 years, those of us in the food, agricultural and natural resources system have watched federal funding decline even as demand for research in these areas increased. Leaders in these sectors have observed this trend with growing concern and, in January 2001, formed a national coalition to counter it.
The National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (National C-FAR) is a broad nonpartisan coalition. Its members range from environmental groups to commodity organizations and from producers to universities. They come together with a single purpose: to advance the research agenda for food, agriculture and natural resources.
Raising the profile
By bringing together a multitude of voices and raising the profile of agricultural research, National C-FAR hopes to double federal funding for research and education in this arena in the next five years. If the organization succeeds, there will be an additional $2 billion available for research on issues such as environmental stewardship, food safety, biotechnology, animal well-being, agricultural genomics, market development, value‑added products, and emerging plant and animal diseases.
In addition to advocating for increased federal funding, the coalition will speak with a strong voice on research priorities. National C-FAR will seek input from its members on the most important issues facing the food, agriculture and natural resources system. It will promote this stakeholder-driven research agenda at a national level, raising the profile of agricultural research and speaking with one voice for its diverse membership.
Poised for success
National C-FAR is modeled after a statewide coalition in Illinois that has been very successful in garnering new funding for research. Since it began in 1993, Illinois C-FAR has brought an additional $25 million in funding for food and agricultural research at Illinois universities.
National C-FAR is an idea whose time has come. For too long, the diverse agricultural and food interests in this country have spoken with disparate voices and, as the declining federal funding shows, none were heard. Members have recognized that if the food, agriculture and natural resources system is going to thrive in the coming years, they must work together to achieve national prominence for their issues.
Just six weeks after it was formally organized, National C-FAR had 60 members. They are enthusiastic about the coalition's chances for success and welcome the opportunity to listen to their stakeholders and create a national research agenda that addresses the critical issues of today.
I am excited that Purdue is a part of National C-FAR. This coalition is the best opportunity for making agricultural research a national priority, which has not been the case in recent decades. It is a strong organization because of its diverse membership and its emphasis on stakeholder‑determined research priorities. I am convinced that through this coalition we can reverse the downward trend in federal funding for research in food, agriculture and natural resources.
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