22 MARCH 2015 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG protein with attendant reductions in environmental footprint and acknowledgement of the role of societal acceptability as to what defines sustainable animal agriculture production. Support of the development of funding partnerships consisting of public and private sectors and the collaboration of such partnerships to support development and adoption of new and efficient technology were also recommended. Hopefully collaborative efforts will include funding for basic science research as industry-based support has tended to concentrate on applied research with a desired product to achieve short-term commercialization. Reinvigoration of infrastructure, as stated in the committee report, is not confined to research per se but includes a statement of need for financial support for instructional and outreach needs that complement research activities. Instructional needs include development of curricula and strategies for delivery, training of the next generation of animal science researchers and evaluation of impact factors such as hiring, retention, and diversity within public and private sectors. Mechanisms to establish research priorities must be based on effective response to emerging needs at local, regional, and national levels. Critically Important Recommendations and Research Priorities for Developing Countries The committee also offered key recommendations that were specifically directed toward increasing animal agriculture production in developing countries through sustainable methodologies, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. These recommendations also adhered to underlying assumptions about rising consumption of animal protein and resource limitations that confront existing production practices and will be exacerbated in the future unless different approaches are taken. These recommendations were underscored by the stated need for stakeholders in the U.S. to assume an active role in development of research priorities. These priorities would be aligned with emerging needs and prevailing conditions identified within developing countries whereby sustainable animal agricultural production would be achieved. Understanding and overcoming barriers to the adoption of technology derived from the research results in developing countries has been a chronic problem and a major setback in achieving progress to intensify production. The committee accordingly recommended a research focus on the educational and communication roles of local extension and advisory personnel that are essential for the effective transfer of research results and associated technology. Women were identified as consistently playing a principal role in the success of animal agriculture production systems in developing countries. Therefore, the recommendation emphasized research funding to develop effective programs for the training of women as an essential component of the successful adoption of production technology. Animal diseases and zoonoses have chronically had an integrating economic, environmental and social sustainability research, where all aspects of sustainability are suitably addressed. This holism mandates engagement of a broader range of research disciplines to meet objectives. Examples include coalition-guided research devoted to the improvement of communication among researchers, stakeholders, food industries and the public, and research to ultimately achieve common guidelines, standards and regulations to meet sustainability criteria. The recommendations provided represent the foundation of a reinvigoration of the animal agriculture research infrastructure, where current and emerging animal science research is supported to meet the challenges that sustainable production presents. The U.S.-based research recommendations offered by the committee call for a restoration of funding to the level of real dollars, especially for basic science research, and support for development and adoption of technology. In addition, following the holistic, i.e., inter- and trans-disciplinary approach, research must include a sensitivity to societal concerns about animal science research, including animal welfare, thereby serving to guide the direction of intensification objectives. The integration of socioeconomic impact assessment as part of science-based production research was also recommended. Other noteworthy recommendations for research outlined the need for research to understand climate change impacts and research to improve communication among different groups so that accuracy of information, rather than misinformation and disinformation, prevail. Accordingly, trust should naturally arise from genuine and self-effacing efforts to provide a clear understanding of research activities and effects. Other research recommendations – feed ingredients and dietary nutrients, alternative feed ingredients, and use of antibiotics in feeds – are areas that have been identified in previous reports. These key recommendations strengthen and in some cases are corollaries to overarching recommendations. Funding and the Reinvigoration of Infrastructure Funding for research in animal agriculture production has gradually declined in real dollars because of inflation, particularly due to the comparatively higher inflationary costs of conducting research that includes needs for advanced equipment. The committee recommended that research funding be restored to at least past “real” dollars and at least maintained at that level through compensatory increases that will meet annual rates of inflation. The committee recommended that research concentrate on those species with inherent physiological characteristics that exert the least environmental impact and are anticipated to experience significant increases in consumer demand in the future, implying a particular focus on the funding of research on aquaculture species. The committee also recommended that decisions concerning future animal science research meet sustainability criteria that address reduction of the cost of production per unit animal The overarching recommendations call for holistic approaches to increase and intensify animal production by integrating economic, environmental and social sustainability research, where all aspects of sustainability are suitably addressed. This holism mandates engagement of a broader range of research disciplines to meet objectives.
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