Julian Alston, agricultural and resource economics professor at the University of California-Davis, spoke about the challenge to provide safe, affordable food for a world population expected to reach 8.9 billion by 2050 during the 2013 Congressional Assistants Tour, hosted by K-State Research and Extension Aug. 29-30.While the growing population expectation is a primary concern for producers, Alston raised additional concerns of competing demands for land and water, competing demands with biofuels, a changing climate, and co-evolving pests and diseases.
The good news is agriculture has been profitable enough the last ten years that research has perked up a bit again. I saw that yesterday at Farm Science Review but there has been a shift from public research to private research.
The first big knock in ag research in Ohio was the closing of the corn breeding program. Ohio had inbreds no one else had. The second big knock was when the REAL soil testing lab was closed down and let go to private competition.
How is your state or country doing in agricultural research? Or should I ask what at all are they doing? It isn't much in many states and countries.
Who is number one in public agricultural investment?
Ed Winkle
The first big knock in ag research in Ohio was the closing of the corn breeding program. Ohio had inbreds no one else had. The second big knock was when the REAL soil testing lab was closed down and let go to private competition.
How is your state or country doing in agricultural research? Or should I ask what at all are they doing? It isn't much in many states and countries.
Who is number one in public agricultural investment?
Ed Winkle
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