WINNIPEG — Concerns about tighter funding parameters in agricultural research should prompt farmers to get their requests together because incoherence is undermining research efforts, says the chair of the Agri-Food Innovation Council.
“What do we want to get out of agricultural research?” asked Cam Dahl in an interview. “What are the public goods that are going to be coming out of agricultural research?”
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With widespread concern about reduced federal government spending on agricultural research and the remainder focused on climate change mitigation endeavours, research interests should be clear so available funding is spent where needed, Dahl said.
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Clarity is lacking about research priorities, he added.
“What are the strategic objectives for the investment of public and producer dollars in research? The (answer) to me isn’t fundamentally clear.
“The return on that investment can be huge, but we need to be strategic about how those investments are made.”
Farmer focus is crucial, Dahl said, because there are more than 20 federal government departments and agencies that fund agricultural research in some way. Provincial governments and other entities are also involved. Farmers need to clearly express what they hope to achieve from research.
Dahl said the current funding cycle has just begun, so farm groups have a few years to get together, plan strategy and ensure the government knows what they seek.
