This is a trend that must be stopped. Food and fiber are essential to all people, and we must ensure our productive capacity is secure. It has been determined that the food and agricultural sectors and their related industries provide almost 20 percent of the jobs in the United States, and account for around 16 percent of the gross national product. Publicly funded research is needed to ensure society's goals are achieved. While private and public research are complementary, private research is more narrow and short-term.
Public research can be more speculative, broader and longer-term.
Public funding ensures that needs voiced by concerned citizens are achieved. Items such as a safe and secure food and fiber system, a healthy and well-nourished population, harmony between agriculture and the environment, global competitiveness, and general economic development can be addressed better with public funding. All of these factors help provide the quality of life desired by each of our citizens. Our forefathers provided the framework needed to achieve public agricultural research goals. The land grant system provides the basic needs of extension, teaching and research.