"Massive increase in agricultural research funding required"

The United States’ total federal investment in agricultural research has been flat for a long time, a fact that does not bode well for the future of our farm and food system, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. "Not only does the research undertaken today have a profound impact on the what food and agriculture will be like a generation from now, but our chances of successfully tackling major societal challenges related to our current system are being seriously impeded by the lack of sufficient investment. Yet support for upping our game and securing our future through agricultural research sadly seems to be a mile wide and an inch deep in Washington policy circles."

With that thought in mind, over four years ago, the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation (RMF) started a process of pulling together a wide range of players in the research, education and extension space to work toward a unifying message that could help reverse the tide and prod policymakers to recommitting the U.S. to a world leadership role in agricultural research by simultaneously increasing resources and improving the system.

The “unifying message” endeavor has engaged a wide range of stakeholders from over 120 organizations in debate on how to make game-changing progress. Those discussions, and the overall framing for the project, are written up in eight reports in the RMF Unifying Message series.

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is an official sponsor of the series, along with the National Corn Growers Association, Soil and Water Conservation Society, the Supporters of Agricultural Research (SOAR) Foundation, several disciplinary societies, and seven major land grant and other universities, with leadership by Iowa State University.