In 1914, the land grant system was provided federal funds to create extension programs to transmit research findings to farmers and citizens. No other nation has such a system. Returns on public investment in agricultural research and education have been estimated as high as 60 percent. Ultimately, the primary benefit to the public has been better food at lower real prices. There are more than a couple of ironies in this picture.
Protectionist influence seems to be on the rise, despite the proven overall benefits of freer trade.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed, but failed to send to conference a bill extending federal funding for agricultural research and extension into the next century. In an era of tight budgets, many land grant universities have had a difficult time securing level state appropriations for agricultural higher education, research and extension. The biggest irony may be that food has become such a minor part of the typical U.S. household's budget that it is viewed as unimportant. Finally, the figure shows the continuing harsh realities of food availability in the developing world at a time when funding for U.S. food aid has been declining.