Support Agricultural Research

If we stop and think about it, we all realize the value of agricultural research. Studies show repeatedly that federal and state funding for agricultural research and development produces high returns for the money spent and it also ensures a safe, abundant food supply for Americans.

However, politics dictate the amount of money spent for agricultural research. Some politicians who have no understanding of agriculture still feel qualified to make decisions regarding this vital industry, and they therefore make poor choices. Part of the reason why these people make wrong choices lies in the fact that it may take years for results to accrue in research studies. In this instant gratification society, people often expect immediate results and when these results aren’t forthcoming within months, they feel the program or research has no value.

According to a paper written by Paul W. Heisey with the Economic Research Service, a branch of the USDA, “many economic studies that provide the strongest evidence for high returns to public research focus on aggregate data for the entire agricultural sector and analyze the effects of past investments rather than specific effects of current research programs.” In other words, current research sometimes is ignored or dismissed as of no value by those who hold the purse strings.

Although agricultural research provides high returns for dollars spent, very few of these returns can point to one specific research project. Researchers use information gained from one study to build new research, and the cumulative findings provide the new recommendations and best practices results. It may take years after the original research has concluded before people understand the benefits it provided. Without all these studies that build and expand on previous research we would all lose.

This is an election year. Money is tight, programs that seem non-productive will get cut and left by the wayside.

We in this area understand that efficient agricultural practices are not a luxury; they are a necessity if people expect to have food to eat in the coming years. It is time to elect politicians who believe in agriculture, who understand agriculture, and who will go the extra mile to ensure that agriculture has all the help it needs. This help includes increasing funding for agricultural research as well as ensuring that farmers and ranchers have safety nets to ensure that in a bad year, they don’t lose the farm or ranch.

Question candidates regarding their viewpoint on agriculture, what they plan to do or not do for agriculture, their goals for assisting agricultural interests, and their specific plan for obtaining those goals. We can’t afford to elect a person who knows nothing about agriculture or who believes oil and ‘progress’ are more important than agriculture. If we care about the future of our grandchildren, it is time to step up to the plate and support the vital industry that keeps food on our plates.