Besides generating agricultural advances, investment in agricultural research is an investment in international stability and economic growth overseas, which reaps further rewards for the United States and other donor nations. Growing more food on the same amount of land without further degrading natural resources can only be accomplished with cutting-edge technology. Agricultural research is absolutely essential to producing enough food to feed the world's burgeoning population while sustaining the natural resource base that supports agriculture. Cutbacks in research investments can undermine the benefits already gained through crop improvement research, as diseases mutate, pest problems recur, populations grow, and climatic conditions shift. Scientific research must continue apace in order to keep ahead of rapid population growth, shifting consumer demands, and other changing conditions that threaten crop yields.
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