Fields urges federal support for land grant work in testimony before Senate Ag Committee
“Seventy percent of agricultural R&D is performed at land grant universities and other non-federal entities. The global competitiveness of U.S. agricultural research is challenged as public investment declines disproportionately.” — Deacue Fields
By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Dec. 9, 2022
Fast facts
- Witnesses note decline in investment in public research, extension in U.S.
- China increasing investment in public research work
- Hearing replay is available online
(638 words)
(Newsrooms: With https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAiqTo)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Land grant universities in the United States are struggling with crumbling infrastructure and declining federal support while China increases its funding for public agricultural research, according to testimony Tuesday at a Farm Bill hearing held by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
Land grant universities trace their roots back to an initiative created during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency under the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. These institutions were created to make teaching of agriculture, science, engineering widely available to citizens of the expanding nation.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, ranking member Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas, and other members of the committee heard from six witnesses including Deacue Fields, head of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The Division of Agriculture conducts land grant research and extension in Arkansas.
“The success of the land-grant system is a major priority,” Boozman said. “In my view, this federal, state and local partnership is the most capable vehicle to conduct and deliver research outcomes to farmers, ranchers and consumers.
“The value of the land-grant system cannot be overstated – and I look forward to working together to strengthen this system in the next farm bill,” he said.
“Innovation through research is essential to global food security,” Stabenow said in opening the hearing. “Land grant universities are vital partners in conducting agricultural research, delivering cooperative extension and training the next generation of leaders in the food and agricultural sectors. Investments in research and extension are absolutely essential.
“In recent years, funding in public agricultural research here in the U.S. has declined — which is concerning,” she said. “Meanwhile, China has quintupled its investment in public agricultural research since 2000 and now invests twice as much as the U.S. does.”
Fields said that “70 percent of agricultural R&D is performed at land grant universities and other non-federal entities. The global competitiveness of U.S. agricultural research is challenged as public investment declines disproportionately.”
For the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, 56.5 percent of its funds are state appropriations, while federal capacity funds account for 6.3 percent. From 2017-2022, the federal share of funding decreased 2.8 percent.
“At every land grant institution in the country, our research infrastructure is degrading and literally crumbling in many instances,” he said. “We can’t try to do 21st century research in mid-20th century facilities, which was the last time a major investment was done in our research infrastructure.”
Fields said the Division of Agriculture’s estimated deferred maintenance cost is nearly $100 million.
“Within the last five years, we have managed to bring two new facilities online. We have saved for 13 years to be able to begin construction on one facility, forcing us to abandon sorely needed maintenance and renovation on existing facilities. On the other new one, we were forced to remain in a substandard facility 15 years beyond its time to be razed before we could cobble together enough resources to replace it.”
In later questioning by Boozman, Fields said the Division of Agriculture lost two faculty members because of substandard facilities and cited an instance where scientists are trying to conduct low-moisture research in a facility where we cannot get the relative humidity below 80 percent.”
“One of the most impactful things our federal partners can do is invest in the infrastructure necessary for us to continue to do cutting-edge research, extension and teaching programs,” Fields said.
“Supporting agricultural research and infrastructure development is not a donation, but an investment in the future national and international food security,” he said.
In addition to Fields, the committee heard from Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA undersecretary for research, education and economics; Jason Rowntree, Michigan State University; Felecia Nave, president of Alcorn State University, Katy Rainey, director of Purdue University’s Soybean Center; and Steve Ela, partner and manager of Ela Family farms in Hotchkiss, Colorado.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension
Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division
of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture,
visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen
agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption
of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative
Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work
within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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