093_HB2013eng HB2013 Engrossed LRB093 06164 BDD 06270 b 1 AN ACT concerning agriculture. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Food and Agriculture Research Act is 5 amended by changing Section 5 as follows: 6 (505 ILCS 82/5) 7 Sec. 5. Legislative findings. It is the intent of this 8 Act to provide a solid base of State funding for public food 9 and agricultural research programs in Illinois while 10 fostering public confidence in this research through public 11 participation. Blessed with rich agricultural soils and a 12 favorable agricultural climate, Illinois traditionally ranks 13 fourth or fifth among the States in the nation's gross 14 agricultural production. The food and agricultural sector, 15 employing nearly 20% of the State's workers, is committed to 16 providing safe, nutritious, high-quality, affordable, and 17 convenient agricultural products and services to Illinois 18 citizens. Compared with all other states, however, Illinois 19 faces a tremendous challenge to meet its needs for ongoing 20 adequate research investments that improve human health while 21 protecting and enhancing its natural resources and 22 environment. Without adequate State funding, the food and 23 agricultural sector faces the consequences of falling behind 24 in information, projects, and programs affecting human lives 25 and the demand for improved nutrition, food quality, human 26 health, and environment. 27 Currently, the State's agricultural universities conduct 28 research that provides basic information about the structure 29 and function of food and agricultural systems. Although 30 these agricultural institutions have a remarkable record of 31 contributions to an improved food and agricultural sector, HB2013 Engrossed -2- LRB093 06164 BDD 06270 b 1 their research is significantly underfunded. The State's 2 Agricultural Experiment Station, maintained as the food and 3 agricultural research facilities and program of the 4 University of Illinois, ranks only 29th in state funding 5 among the state agricultural experiment stations. Southern 6 Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois State University, 7 and Western Illinois University also conduct food and 8 agricultural research but receive no State appropriated fund 9 allocations. This underfunding represents a missed 10 opportunity for Illinois and places it in poor competitive 11 position with other important agricultural states. The 12 State's consumers and producers reap high returns from 13 existing public investment in food and agricultural research, 14 with a pretax return of 40%, the highest among publicly 15 supported research activities. 16 Illinois needs mechanisms that allow publicly supported 17 researchers to work closely with farmers, agribusiness, 18 consumers, conservationists, environmentalists, and other key 19 decision-makers. Together, these groups can identify 20 challenges and opportunities for researchers before they 21 conduct research and transfer the information and technology. 22 This will allow Illinois to retain its prominence as a 23 leading agricultural state. 24 The Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research 25 (C-FAR) is a statewide coalition committed to funding 26 relevant and high-quality research and related outreach 27 programs leading to profitable, consumer-sensitive, and 28 environmentally sound food and agricultural systems. The 29 intent of this Act is to secure funds to support targeted 30 research initiatives so that Illinois will continue to meet 31 tomorrow's food and agricultural needs while using our 32 natural resources responsibly. 33 The General Assembly of Illinois hereby: 34 (1) Identifies food and agricultural research as a HB2013 Engrossed -3- LRB093 06164 BDD 06270 b 1 critically important activity with great public benefits. 2 (2) Identifies the State's agricultural 3 universities responsible for basic, developmental, and 4 adaptive research related to the food and agricultural 5 sector; and 6 (3) Authorizes the expenditure of State funds to 7 enlarge, improve, and sustain the publicly supported 8 programs of food and agricultural research in Illinois. 9 (Source: P.A. 89-182, eff. 7-19-95.)