By Julie Suarez, Associate Dean & Director, Translational Research Programs, Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
There are few certainties in life outside of the old saying – death and taxes. One certainty, faced by all of us, is the rapid pace of change. Whether it is global marketing conditions, economic and weather impacts, funding for research or conservation practices, or simply keeping up with new AI technologies, change breeds uncertainty and uncertainty can cause ripple effects throughout the entire food system.
How do we reduce the uncertainty that causes additional hardship for farmers, the businesses that serve them, and the people who need to eat? We need to turn to scientific solutions grounded in the real world. Put simply, the world will need more science, not less, in the years to come. Farmers will need more science-based solutions to economic and environmental challenges in the changing world, businesses will need to have a more certain regulatory environment based on science, and consumers who drive all business decisions will need to have trust in the food they’re buying.
Which is, of course, why we need to keep investing in this vague but critical concept of a “Land-Grant”. Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is so proud of having both this incredible responsibility and this incredible privilege to be service-minded. Cornell CALS has over 150 years of generational partnerships with family farmers, scientists and extension personnel, agri-businesses, and our youth from all of NY’s communities from rural to urban through our land-grant partnership. This land-grant mission is embedded in the DNA of our faculty and extension staff, and while not always having the answers to the incredibly rapid pace of change – we do try to provide the best and most trusted science we can.
We can talk about USDA’s Economic Research Services in 2019 highlighted that China, Argentina, and the European Union have outpaced the United States public investment in agricultural R&D; opening the door to less science-based solutions publicly available for growers. We can talk about the significant financial constraints faced by Cornell CALS and our extension partners from the State University of NY (SUNY) operating funds budget, which has virtually remained flat since 2009. The rapid pace of declines in funding for agricultural sciences R&D is causing great uncertainty at our service-minded land-grant college, much like farmers and businesses are also facing uncertainty.
But I would rather talk about that even in the midst of unprecedented, rapid change, Cornell CALS serves the public good and the farm community with practical solutions to everyday challenges. We teach students, work on critical areas like nutrient management, GHG reductions through innovations and efficiencies, and plant breeding for the changing climate, and translate that research into our food system to help play a part in making sure NY eaters have NY grown and processed, safe and healthy foods.
Because the world needs more science, not less, in the years to come Cornell CALS is simply asking for your help. Reductions in funding mean fewer trusted solutions from NY’s generational land-grant partner. And while the science Cornell CALS provides sometimes causes conflicts with people from different walks of life, you can trust it’s the best that we can do with the tools, funding and knowledge we have and is conducted according to our strong value of the highest standards of scientific integrity.
Cornell CALS is seeking a substantial re-investment from NYS in the form of $5M annually in increased core operating support to ensure that we are here for farmers, providing the science and information you need. We are seeking $5M in annual capital funds to help ensure that we can renovate our buildings, fence in our farms and fix failing tile drainage, greenhouses, labs, and ensure that we have the right equipment in place. We are particularly focused on boosting PRO-DAIRY’s operational budget to $2.46M, adding new specialists in farm business management, dairy nutrition, and shoring up the environmental and energy work for years to come.
Cornell CALS will need every voice raised at a time of rapid change and increased uncertainty to stick up for science and the generational land-grant mission, so that we can focus on reducing uncertainty, mitigating some of the risks faced by farmers and agri-businesses, as we all go forward together to do what we all do best – feeding people, growing food, and providing science-based information to weave the food system together.