In the Perspectives guest blog series, Farm Foundation invites participants from among the varied Farm Foundation programs to share their unique viewpoint on a topic relevant to a Farm Foundation focus area. Dr. Sandro Steinbach, the 2024 Farm Foundation Agricultural Economics Fellow, contributed this guest blog. He can be reached at sandro.steinbach@ndsu.edu. A version of this blog, co-written with Martha King, then Farm Foundation’s vice president of programs and projects, was published in October 2024 as part of the 2024 Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) report from the GAP Initiative at Virginia Tech. It can be found on page 17 and 18 of the report.

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As climate pressures and sustainability demands grow, the agricultural sector faces challenges in adopting productivity-enhancing innovations. Golden Rice, a revolutionary crop, offers valuable lessons in overcoming barriers to innovation, which is critical for a resilient and sustainable agricultural future.

Addressing the Urgent Need for Sustainable Productivity

The global population is set to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, amplifying demands on food production amidst climate change impacts. Sustainable productivity growth—measured by total factor productivity (TFP) and environmental impact—is essential to meet these needs. TFP growth depends on effective resource use and adopting new technologies that can deliver more food with less environmental impact. The Golden Rice initiative exemplifies how trade, innovation policies, and R&D can work together to foster TFP growth and meet global food security needs.

Golden Rice: A Collaborative Innovation

Rice, a staple for billions, became the focus of an ambitious global health initiative to address vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. Initiated by the Rockefeller Foundation in 1982, Golden Rice resulted from decades of international collaboration. Figure 1 illustrates its development timeline, from lab research to regulatory approval. However, the journey faced significant challenges, including regulatory hurdles and public skepticism. Golden Rice’s story underscores the importance of supportive policies for adopting innovations that can profoundly impact global nutrition and agricultural productivity.

Figure 1. Innovation and Adoption Timeline of Golden Rice

How Trade Enables Cross-Border Innovation and Development

International trade is pivotal in advancing agricultural innovation by facilitating the exchange of ideas, resources, and technology. The development of Golden Rice brought together scientists from multiple countries, including Switzerland, Germany, the United States, and the Philippines, showcasing how trade fosters collaborative breakthroughs that address global challenges. This cross-border cooperation exemplifies the value of international R&D networks in scaling agricultural technologies across diverse environments, regulatory frameworks, and public needs.

The Role of Innovation Policies in Agricultural Advancement

As illustrated in Figure 2, R&D investment in the United States initially spurred significant TFP growth, with public R&D investments driving agricultural productivity. However, recent declines in public R&D funding have coincided with slower TFP growth, highlighting the need for robust innovation policies. Supportive policies, including intellectual property protections and transparent regulatory frameworks, are essential for translating scientific discoveries into practical technologies. Golden Rice’s development benefited from these policies, yet its adoption has been slowed by regulatory barriers, particularly concerning genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This experience highlights the role of flexible, science-based regulatory frameworks that balance public safety with innovation needs.

Figure 2. Agricultural TFP Growth Stalling due to Limited Public R&D Investments

Lessons from Golden Rice on TFP Growth Potential

Golden Rice offers significant potential to boost TFP by providing enhanced nutrition without requiring additional resources. This crop addresses vitamin A deficiency and aligns with sustainable agricultural practices by reducing dependency on supplements. However, its success relies on supportive trade and innovation policies allowing global distribution. Countries like the U.S. and Canada, which have open trade policies, facilitated quicker adoption, while regions with GMO restrictions face delays. Aligning trade policies with innovation objectives can remove barriers, allowing beneficial technologies to contribute to TFP growth and broader sustainability.

Overcoming Barriers to Agricultural Innovation

Golden Rice’s journey from innovation to adoption is a case study of the challenges faced by agricultural technologies. Major obstacles include restrictive regulatory frameworks, trade barriers, and socio-economic challenges such as limited infrastructure and market access. To ensure these innovations reach farmers, streamlined and science-based regulatory approaches are essential. Figure 3 summarizes three key policy recommendations: harmonizing trade policies, developing adaptive regulatory frameworks, and fostering public-private partnerships to support innovation and adoption.

Building a Framework for Future Agricultural Innovation

The Golden Rice experience emphasizes the need for aligned global trade and policy frameworks that support sustainable productivity. As new agricultural technologies emerge to address pressing issues like climate change and food security, streamlined policies can accelerate their adoption. Policymakers must encourage R&D investments that drive TFP growth, ensuring innovations reach regions where they are needed most. Golden Rice is a valuable lesson in leveraging trade and policy to support the rapid dissemination of agricultural technology, enabling a more resilient and food-secure world.

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A new report from the Global Forum on Farm Policy & Innovation (GFFPI) highlights the complexities of balancing trade and sustainability objectives, emphasizing the pressing need to align trade rules with sustainability goals while avoiding unintended consequences.

The report, Policy and Practice for Sustainable Agriculture and Trade, is based on observations from the second workshop held by GFFPI, held in Washington D.C. in July 2024. The first workshop was hosted at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris in 2023 and focused on the ideal state of agriculture sustainability and trade.

The second workshop explored ways to integrate sustainability into global trade frameworks and develop standardized measurements to avoid unintended consequences. The workshop brought together over 70 participants representing 17 countries, including government officials, industry representatives, and trade policy experts. The discussions grappled with fundamental questions, including whose sustainability should be prioritized in trade agreements—the exporting country, the importing country, or global outcomes—and trade-offs between the environmental, social, and economic pillars of sustainability.

Key points identified in the report include:

• Adopting an outcome-based approach to sustainability, starting with soil health, water, biodiversity and carbon measures as benchmarks.
• Developing a Sustainable Agriculture Trade Framework with clear definitions, science-based standards and guiding principles.
• Strengthening international cooperation to promote policy coherence GFFPI representatives were pleased to be able to further develop insights from the Paris workshop and push this important conversation forward.

“We are proud of and grateful for the global collaboration we have built over the last few years via GFFPI for respectful and evidence-based dialogue to elevate and advance possible pathways forward for agricultural trade and sustainability,” said Shari Rogge-Fidler, president and CEO of Farm Foundation.

Mark Titterington, co-founder and director of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture, agreed saying, “This is another strong contribution to the ongoing discussion on the role of trade policies in supporting the development of a more resilient and sustainable agri-food system. There is certainly a worthy case to consider for developing a global sustainable agriculture trade framework, underpinned by robust science, measurement and data, and which is outcome based. We were delighted to work with our partners in GFFPI in facilitating the discussion that led to this report and look forward to building on the key insights that emerged, also by bringing the European point of view and sensibilities to the discussion.”

The benefit of being able to share their specific point of view was shared by other GFFPI representatives. “As a trade-focused nation, Australian farmers know that our food-secure future depends on collaborative global action to meet shared goals,” said Katie McRobert, executive director of the Australian Farm Institute. “Trade can be a powerful lever to incentivize action on building natural, social, and economic capital in agricultural systems, provided that policies recognize unique local environmental and cultural contexts.”

When considering what comes next, the workshop highlighted the complex interplay between trade policy and agricultural sustainability and acknowledged there are many steps to make towards meaningful progress.

“The dialogue at the Washington workshop built on GFFPI’s past work, but underscored how much more work needs to be done to find solutions to the challenge of agriculture sustainability and trade,” said Tyler McCann, managing director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. “This work needs to be done between countries and must include leaders in trade and sustainability to lead to meaningful outcomes.”

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The Global Forum for Farm Policy and Innovation (GFFPI) leverages evidence and dialogue leading to increased understanding, substantive action, and enhanced outcomes for more sustainable agriculture around the world. GFFPI members include the Australian Farm Institute, the Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute, the Farm Foundation (United States) and the Forum for the Future of Agriculture (Europe).

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In the Perspectives guest blog series, Farm Foundation invites participants from among the varied Farm Foundation programs to share their unique viewpoint on a topic relevant to a Farm Foundation focus area. In this post, Gillian Villa discusses the impact of attending a professional conference with her cohort of the Field to Future program. The Farm Foundation Field to Future Program engages underrepresented undergraduate students studying at an accredited university and/or land grant institution in a two year-long program of learning experiences focused on gaining a deeper understanding of production agriculture, food processing, marketing, and agribusiness. Gillian is a sophomore at Kansas State University, studying agribusiness with a secondary major in global food systems leadership and a minor in agronomy. 

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Attending the Women in Agribusiness conference in Denver, Colorado, left a lasting impact on my perspective as a young woman in agriculture. The agricultural sector can often be daunting, and I frequently find myself facing challenges that can feel discouraging, leading me to question my qualifications and value within the field. However, meeting accomplished women from diverse backgrounds in the agricultural industry was incredibly inspiring. Their stories of resilience and success demonstrated the strength of women in this sector and highlighted the vital role we play in feeding, housing, and clothing the world.

I gained a deeper understanding of how innovation is reshaping our industry, from the growing interest in AI and its applications to the advancements in research and development, as well as the vital role of agricultural policy and advocacy in driving innovation forward. Further, I discovered many avenues where I, as a next-gen leader, can contribute meaningfully to the industry.

I felt empowered by the collaboration among like-minded women who share a passion for making a positive difference in agriculture. Back on campus, I am actively fostering conversations about the insights I gained at the conference. I even had the opportunity to connect with a company represented at the conference that has proven to be beneficial to my undergraduate research.

Overall, it’s clear that we must work together to foster innovation that will positively impact our food system. While it was centered around female leadership, it’s essential to recognize that both men and women, regardless of age or experience, must collaborate to drive progress in agriculture and create a sustainable future for all. Sharing knowledge, experiences, and resources is so important to the development of leaders and industry. This conference reaffirmed my commitment to being an advocate for change and a voice for the future of agriculture. I left Denver with not only newfound knowledge and connections but also a sense of purpose and determination to contribute positively to this essential field.

The post Perspective: Gaining a Deeper Understanding on Innovation and Collaboration in Agriculture appeared first on Farm Foundation.

In May, students in the first cohort of the Farm Foundation CAFE (Careers in Food and Agriculture Exploration) Student Workshop grew their career readiness skills and explored future options available in food and agriculture. Held May 20 to 21 at North Carolina A&T University Farm Pavilion in Greensboro, North Carolina, the program served 10 undergraduate students from three different 1890 land-grant institutions: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Southern University and A&M College, and Tennessee State University.

Over the course of two days, students explored career opportunities in agriculture, developed new skills for positioning themselves in the job market, expanded their networks, and left with a transformational experience and new tools to carry them into their future careers. The small group setting allowed for in-depth discussions with presenters from across the industry, such as John Deere, FMC, and National Wheat Growers. In addition, the group was able to visit the Syngenta Crop Protection North America Headquarters to learn more about their global operation.

See the 2024 CAFE program project report for further details on the program, including program elements, topics covered, and key results.

The CAFE workshop is a key part of a five-year project funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, specifically the SAPLINGS grant in partnership with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T).

The Farm Foundation project leads for this program are Martha King, vice president of programs and projects; Jenna Wicks, program manager; and Amanda L. Martin, director of development.  

We are incredibly grateful to everyone at NC A&T, along with the faculty, staff, and guest speakers who shared their expertise with our first CAFE cohort and made this program such a success.

The post Project Report: Inaugural Farm Foundation CAFE Workshop Invites Students Into Food and Agriculture Sector appeared first on Farm Foundation.