Approach One
Research, Development and Education (RDE) Is the Answer

Remember the old saying: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for life."

Public and private research gives us the opportunity to be the world's best farming teachers. Since the 1960s, Americans have gone around the world through university research projects and the Peace Corps to learn and teach better and better farming methods. This approach expands on this saying with a wide range of research and educational efforts to make farming more productive, profitable and sustainable in our country and around the world.

This approach believes in the power of knowledge. But we also know that learning is not a one-way street. When research spreads to include global partners, the flow of ideas and innovations benefits everyone and leads to new and surprising breakthroughs. With increased study across the many areas in our higher education system, the challenges and opportunities in food production and access can be understood. When political, economic, cultural, or religious problems are found, action plans can be designed for national policy makers, private corporations, the UN, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and consumers to decrease hunger with sensitivity and creativity.

Actions in Approach #1 Could Be:

• To Increase domestic food-based RDE study through public funding and private grants, focusing on food science but including all higher education fields-designate 50% of these grants for international projects.
• Increase support for the Peace Corps, and give 'GI Bill'-type educational grants for successful Peace Corps service.
• Create agricultural research partnerships in every country in the world that wants to participate, and provide enough funding to establish an initial global research base, identifying key research goals in each climate area, country, and region.
• Conduct more research into food safety and make the reports available to the public in the US and around the world-simplify the language in the reports to make the information available to the general public.
• Balance agricultural RDE by providing more public funding and university research in agro-ecology, integrated pest management and sustainable production techniques.

Benefits of Approach #1:

• RDE is what we do best-it has revolutionized agriculture in the past and it can do so again.
• California, American and international farmers can all learn new techniques, increase productivity, reduce crop losses and be more environmentally sensitive through more RDE-farming can become a more profitable and attractive vocation.
  
• RDE can change the image of Americans from 'benevolent bully' to 'development partner'-the reputation of the US can be improved.

A Tradeoff of Approach #1:

• The research and education needed for acceptance of science-based products and methods may take many years, but the slow development of trust would make the investment of time and energy worthwhile.

Drawbacks of Approach #1:

• There's already enough food in the world-the problem lies in access to affordable food when people are not allowed to grow their own.
• RDE that is funded by American taxpayers and private companies might not be trusted by international farmers or consumers, feeling that we would make sure that American agriculture benefits most.
• When the US provides inexpensive or free RDE for the world, foreign producers will then compete with the US farmers who helped to pay for that knowledge.

Further Readings for Approach #1: Research, Development and Education is the Answer