"Future of farming depends on research"

What does the future of agriculture look like? To the extent that many consumers think about this issue it is only a few months at a time – we may be wistfully thinking of that time in spring when asparagus is at its peak, or wondering how the price of milk or eggs may be changing as the economy fluctuates.

Farmers and ranchers are often thinking about the future in terms of years as they plan their harvest and crop rotations, manage their animals, or draw up new business plans. Agricultural scientists think in terms of both immediate needs as well as future needs; and some agroecologists, seed and animal breeders, and other environmental and biological scientists are trying to determine what agriculture will look like 50 or 75 years from now, what challenges or opportunities the environmental and climate landscape will present and what scientific research innovations will be necessary to ensure success into the future.

On March 2, 2017 the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) presented their thoughts about the future of agriculture and agricultural research at a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) listening session entitled, “Visioning of United States, (U.S.) Agricultural Systems for Sustainable Production Stakeholder Listening Session Meeting.”

The purpose of this event was to identify research opportunities and knowledge or data gaps as we evaluate research priorities to enhance the long-term sustainability of U.S. agricultural production systems. NSAC’s presentation about innovations in agricultural research are summarized here.