The U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research held a public hearing on Tuesday to discuss and highlight research innovations achieved at agricultural colleges and universities.
Representatives stressed the importance of agricultural research, reminding the public that when the federal government invests in research, everyone saves money as a result of increased productivity, reduced production costs, and increased food security. Chairman Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL) referenced the International Food Policy Research Institute in stating that the annual rate of return on investment in agriculture is an impressive 48 percent.
Six experts in a variety of academic fields testified on the importance of agricultural research. Witnesses in attendance were:
- Dr. Robert Hauser, Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Science at the University of Illinois
- Dr. James Moyer, Associate Dean for Research, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University
- Dr. Mindy Brashears, Director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at TexasTech University
- Dr. Michael Heithaus, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida International University;
- Dr. Michael Lacy, Professor and Department Head of the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Georgia
- Dr. Douglas Buhler, Senior Associate Dean for Research in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University.
Dr. Michael Lacy testified on the importance of funding for poultry research, with a focus on the important partnership between APHIS and the University of Georgia to research avian influenza. He stressed that research funding has contributed greatly to the ability of the United States to build an infrastructure to prevent, respond to, and investigate the deadly avian influenza virus. A full copy of Dr. Lacy’s testimony can be found here.
Congressman Austin Scott (R-GA) focused all of his attention to Dr. Lacy during his allotted time, thanking him and highlighting his testimony and the achievements of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory in Athens. “Georgia is the leading producer of poultry in our country, and a serious avian influenza outbreak would not only be devastating to the food supply, but would also impact our economy on both the state and national level,” said Congressman Austin Scott. “It was an honor to have Dr. Lacy testify in regards to the work that the University of Georgia is doing and the critical role the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory continues to play in the protection of this essential food source.”
Dr. Lacy’s testimony, in addition to a link for a video of the full hearing, can be found here.
