One of the really great things about Farm Foundation events is how the group brings together people from divergent backgrounds and points-of-view to freely discuss the issues affecting American Agriculture today. The latest session at the Foundation’s Food and Agriculture Policy Summit it is hosting here in Washington, D.C. is another great example of that.
Just a few minutes ago, Dr. Jonathan Bryant with BASF North America and Dr. Gale Buchanan, Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics at USDA finished their presentations bringing private and public sector viewpoints to the research and development session of the conference.
I caught up with the two of them right after their talk and asked how the private and public sectors can better work together to make sure the research dollars and knowledge flow back and forth between the two.
“Obviously, we need to keep supporting research and education programs at both the state and federal level,” said Buchanan.
Bryant echoed Buchanan’s sentiments about the need for public funding for research and development. “I think there are some very similar priorities. We obviously depend on the public sector to give us a good educated workforce.” He added that the private sector also depends on the regulatory function of the government.
Both men agree that they need each other for a dependable research and development function in the ag community.
“There’s much to be gained from the collaborative relationship that the private sector has with the public sector, because in the end, we all are trying to get to the same goal: provide for the needs of the American people and people all over the world,” Buchanan said.
During his talk, Buchanan pointed out that research and development pays back a return of 53 percent annually… better than any stock.
Bryant said that taking a long-term view is key for private companies and public institutions to make sure Americans are truly being served in this collaborative relationship.
You can listen to my conversation with Drs. Buchanan and Bryant by clicking here: Bryant-Buchanan1.mp3
Download the audio here. (mp3)