Economics is an extraordinarily important part of the equation if we are to fulfill our mandate of conducting science in the public interest. If we do not consider the cost to the farmer of proposed waste management techniques, we are not doing our job. Yet, we must also consider the effect of the waste management methods on the environment, because the environmental and economic aspects of agriculture have always been inextricably intertwined. Farmers were the original stewards of the land, and as they adopt new agricultural practices they need to ensure the environmental quality upon which they depend. Likewise, consumers need a clean environment, and they also rely on our country's abundant, safe, inexpensive food supply and benefit from the dollars that agriculture brings into the state's economy.
Agribusiness is, after all, North Carolinas number one industry.
Food, fiber, and forestry account for more than one-fifth of the state's income and employees. The effort within N.C. State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to address these concerns is unparalleled by any other institution. We are a national leader in waste management research. Through our Animal and Poultry Waste Management Center, scientists from various disciplines are developing and evaluating waste treatment technologies that will protect air, soil, and water quality, and support our state's important animal agriculture industry. We are also working with researchers from other universities, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, and the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to develop more effective methods of dealing with the wastes generated by animal agriculture.