outcomes document - Federation of Animal Science Societies

FAIR 2012Crosscutting Themes Emerging from FAIR 2012The data backbone of agriculture is weak because we have not beenable to maximize utilization of solid historical and ongoing accumulatingdata. As research priorities are set and agendas announced, itis imperative that comprehensive mining of historical data be conducted.Data mining will reveal information that can be convertedinto knowledge about historical research and these historical datacan be used to predict future trends to be used in research planningto support guidelines and policies. Data mining would uncoverenormous amounts of information relative to the effects of animalproducts versus carbohydrates, for example, on health, growth, andobesity. Messages from many groups about animal products continueto be negative, despite substantial evidence to the contrary;a systematic mining and synthesis of existing sound scientific datawould refute the false allegations.We must understand that funding is the biggest obstacle to addressingresearch priorities. Agricultural research is a low-cost source offuture agricultural output, but advances in the frontiers of science aredifficult and uncertain, translating into long lags. With mean lags of15 to 20 years, agricultural productivity cannot be jump-started aftera long period of stagnant investment in public agricultural research.With funding delays, world food prices will rise more rapidly thanotherwise projected during the next 40 years (CAST Commentary:Investing in a Better Future Through Public Agricultural Research;CAST QTA2011-1, March 2011; http://www.cast-science.org/publications/?investing_in_a_better_future_through_public_agricultural_research&show=product&productID=2963).The USDAhas severely eroded its support of agricultural research over the last20 years, resulting in a parallel erosion in consumer confidence and aloss of global reliance on US products. Meanwhile, China and othersare “ramping up” funding for agricultural research; a situation thatwill produce strong game changers worldwide.Another crosscutting theme is the social acceptance of animal foodproducts, which, although currently high, may be hijacked by misinformation.There is a need to invest in effective crosscutting communicationstrategies, led by agricultural communicators who aretrained. A focus on youth as a target audience was identified forhaving a long-term impact for the animal agriculture industry. Thisis a complex issue for animal agriculture but one that should not beignored. Science in the media must raise awareness.A tremendous confounding aspect of agricultural research has beencaused by the withdrawal of federal support by the USDA, forcingscientists to look for funding in other venues, notably industry. Thishas resulted in the very damaging perception by members of thepublic that investigators have been “bought” or are “in the pocketof” for-profit interests. Although patently untrue, perception is oftenreality in the minds of the largely uninformed and disconnectedpublic. Ironically, federal agency funding is viewed by most as beingunbiased, despite the restrictions on federal scientists from speakingpublicly on the science of issues if contrary to the official dogma.Strategic Directions of FAIR 2012It is imperative that the United States not relent in its support of thefood and agricultural sciences. The world looks to the United Statesas a global vendor of food, and, in that role, we dare not neglect theenvironmental footprint of food production and delivery systemsbased on sound science.The distillation of information gleaned from the plenary sessions ofFAIR 2012 has resulted in strategic directions aimed to address theimminent challenges society will experience in the face of an expandingglobal population. Three major focus areas, with a number ofpriority research, education, and outreach objectives, and a numberof crosscutting issues, were identified that must be considered toensure success in meeting future challenges. These focus areas andcrosscutting issues are provided below.Focus Area 1: Food SecurityOne of the greatest challenges facing animal agriculture will be to meetthe increased food needs of a growing global population. It is estimatedthat the world’s population will reach 9 billion by the year 2050, andglobal food production will need to double in order to meet thesefood demands. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UnitedNations (FAO) projects that 70% of this doubling will have to occurthrough the development and adoption of new technologies. The FAOestimates a 73% increase in meat consumption and a 58% increasein dairy consumption worldwide by the year 2050. Much of thisincreased consumption will come from developing countries, wherepeople are emerging from poverty and demanding improved diets.In order to meet increasing demands in a sustainable way, food producersmust continue to increase the efficiency with which they use limitednatural resources, placing a premium on increased production efficiencyin animal agriculture. Compounding the challenge of increased productionwith limited resources is the diversion of food and feed crops intobioenergy, effectively taking land and resources out of the food securityequation. All of these factors point to the need for increased investmentsin science to increase production capacity and efficiency.Global food production must increase dramatically during thecoming decades because of both a projected increase in the humanpopulation and an exhilarating improvement in the purchasingpower of many poor people in developing countries, which willincrease demand for foods of animal origin. Meeting that increaseddemand within the constraints of the earth’s resources will requiresubstantial improvements in the efficiency of use of resources. Theexpected increase in demand for foods of animal origin makesespecially imperative a marked improvement in efficiency of use ofvaluable feed resources in animal production. There are importantopportunities to achieve such improvements through research. Thecontribution of animals to global food security depends heavily onmaximizing the efficiency of utilization of valuable feedstuffs.13