Illinois leaders perceive a need for improved communication between the people who conduct food and agricultural research in public universities and the diverse constituencies they serve. Those constituencies want assurance that a significant portion of the research will be organized around high priority practical objectives rather than purely academic issues. Also, participants in the Illinois food and agricultural sector are concerned about the relatively low level of State funding for university food and agricultural research programs.
Illinois citizens have a big stake in the success of the state's food and agricultural enterprise.
Illinois, blessed with excellent agricultural land and favorable climate, usually ranks among the top five states in cash sales of crops and livestock. It headquarters more large food and agribusiness concerns than any other state. One of every five workers in Illinois is employed in the food and agricultural sector. The leaders were frustrated by failed attempts to increase university funding of such programs through new program initiatives and similar mechanisms by which Illinois universities address specific needs. Their efforts resulted in Public Act 86-253, popularly known as Senate Bill 63, which authorized the Department of Agriculture to expend funds for adaptive research.