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Responses:
Dear :
The American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) and the
International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) are sponsoring
a World Conference on Horticultural Research in Rome, Italy on
June 17-19, 1998. The goal is to document present research programs,
to develop a research plan for the next century, and to provide
a framework of policy, priorities, funding, and cooperation. The
conference has five themes developed around working groups:
1. World-wide impact of horticulture
2. Current status of research
3. Evaluating needs and expectations of research
4. Policy development
5. The future of research
Working Group 4 (Policy Development) has the charge to examine
and characterize the forces impacting policy decisions for organizations
involved in horticultural research and research funding worldwide.
We specifically wish to understand how horticultural research
is funded and supported in relation to the rest of the agricultural
sector. We include all horticultural commodities such as fruits,
vegetables, floral crops and ornamentals, tropical plantation
crops (coffee, tea, cacao, coconut), hentals, tropical plantation
crops (coffee, tea, cacao, coconut), herbs, spices, and medicinal
plants as well as all scientific and agricultural disciplines
including culture, engineering, modeling, controlled environments,
postharvest handling, marketing, processing, physiology, pest
control, and genetic improvement including molecular methods.
We propose to accomplish this based on a series of case studies
from organizations, such as yours, that impact horticultural research
on a national and international scale. These case studies will
be collated into four groups representing the private sector (e.g.,
seed companies, agricultural chemicals, food processing, machinery),
national research organizations, (e.g., USDA, INRA, Agriculture
Canada), universities (e.g., University of California, University
of Bologna), and international research agencies (e.g., FAO, CIRAD,
CGIR). Responses will be used as the basis for an oral and written
presentation by conference speakers representing each group to
the Conference and an impact statement and plan of action will
be formulated based on this report and its response by the conference
participants. You have been selected as a key organization in
one of the aforementioned groups. What we require is a written
response to the questions listed below in a frank and forthright
manner. The length is entirely up to you. Because time is a factor,
we require this as soon as possible, hopefully before Decemberas soon as possible, hopefully before December
10, 1997.
1. What are the major imperatives impacting your organization
that impact on the research efforts in agriculture in general
and horticulture in particular?
Examples: Economic imperatives, such as increasing corporate
profit, market share, new markets, new ventures (private sector);
increasing gross national product, increasing employment, globalization
to increase exports or reduce imports (public sector); national
and international issues such as food security (food sufficiency,
economic availability, nutritional quality), food safety, environmental
protection, rural stability.
2. How is policy determined to allocate resources for agricultural
research in general and horticultural research in particular?
Examples: External boards, advisory groups, government, industry
and grower pressure/support, self-generated from administration
or scientist, ad hoc response to pressures, strategic planning
efforts.
3. What avenues have you chosen to achieve your objectives?
Examples: In-house research, sponsored research (both public
and private), partnerships, interdisciplinary research, research
incentives (such as shared royalties, profits, prizes).
4. What strategies have you found effective to influence funding
at the highest levels?
Examplfective to influence funding
at the highest levels?
Examples: Public relation efforts to achieve grass support,
use of lobbyists, extension efforts, educational programs.
5. Please feel free to share any other comments or concerns
that you might feel are not addressed by these questions and which
are pertinent to your organization and are a part of policy development
We look forward to your response. If you cannot respond to this
request, please assign it to another qualified person in your
organization. For our part, we promise to send you the final report.
Please return these questions to Jules Janick at the address above.
Sincerely yours,
Jules Janick
Chairman Working Group 4
James Troop Distinguished
Professor of Horticulture
Department of Horticulture
Purdue University
West Lafayette IN 47906-1165, USA
cc: Blanche Dansereau
Co-Chairman Working Group 4
Professor
Départment of Phytologie
Université Laval
Québec, Canada G1K 7P4
JJ/kc