Food For Thought
Opinion: Beware shrinking federal agriculture research and development expenditures
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Wonk (noun) : Definition of wonk: a person preoccupied with arcane details or procedures in a specialized field broadly: nerd – a policy wonk or a computer wonk – Merrian-WebsterOkay. I’m wonkish. It’s my responsibility to sweat the small stuff agriculturally speaking that might someday become a thing. (Although I won’t admit to the British take on wonk which ironically is far less flattering. While I am wonkish , I am not wonky.All that being said there’s a trend I’ve been aware of for the past few years that’s a little disturbing.What if I told you that the federal government over the next decade might might become less effective in helping to reduce:• Water and fertilizer use;
• The need for fungicides and pesticides in plant and food production;
• The incidence of foodborne illnesses.Not to mention an inability to increase the availability of new plant varieties and animal products to deliver food with enhanced nutrient content.