Food animals fare better in the care of knowledgeable producers and processors, and communities reap financial rewards from food processing industries. Gains such as these require public investments in research and education that, in turn, fuel the creation of industries and export profits that sustain communities and rural economies across the country. Keeping that edge will require a clear vision for the future and a strategic plan for research investments to attain the next generation of innovations. The U.S. must have a comprehensive nationwide biosecurity or infrastructure system to prevent the introduction of foreign animal diseases. We are weakening the very infrastructure that can prevent, diagnose and respond to a disease introduction and outbreak.
Research is the vital component for proper disease diagnosis and surveillance.
The NRI provides a wide spectrum of basic research needs and will result in future practical outcomes for U.S. agriculture and needs to be funded properly. Research and Diagnostic Facilities Research and diagnostic facilities are a vital component to the biosecurity infrastructure, which protects animal health. These facilities limit the research that can be conducted and the development of new diagnostic technologies that would further protect our animal health. The existing facilities are antiquated, inefficient and seriously undermine USDA's role as a world leader in animal health and diagnostics. For example, the U.S. currently does not meet the standards that we require of our trading partners, leading us to rely on foreign laboratories and foreign diagnostic procedures.