More than 200 participants representing the agriculture
research community, farming industry, government agencies, and the private
sector attended the event. Special guests attending the forum included Adam
Putnam, Florida commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Chavonda
Jacobs-Young, administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Division
of Research Service.
President Elmira Mangum addressed forum participants with words of inspiration and encouraged the College to continue the work that is aiding communities around the globe.
“FAMU and other land-grant institutions are still thriving
and adding to the education of African Americans and other low-wealth students
as a result of the implementation of the Second Morrill Act,” she said. “It is
important that land-grant institutions continue to be recognized and that the
funding that has been established continue to provide open access for our
students across the nation.”
Putnam also delivered a stirring address to
participants.
“A future need to feed 10 billion people worldwide means
land-grant institutions are more important than ever,” he said. “The only way
we will get there is through good science and technology, and a second green
revolution that will allow us to bridge the gap.”
He added that advances in agriculture could and will move
forward thanks to the work of land-grant institutions such as FAMU and the University
of Florida.
“Our land-grant institutions are not only helping us on the
farmer’s side, but also on the outreach side, so people know how to make
healthier choices and how to stretch that household budget. We can’t do it
without the extension services making it possible,” Putnam said.
Jacobs-Young also discussed the advancement of agricultural
research and its undeniable impact on the world.
“These missions are still relevant 125 years later in the
work that Florida A&M University and other 1890 institutions continue to
do,” she said. “Today, the scope of our work in research and agriculture is
much larger, the technology and means of communication are more advanced, and
the issues we face are more complex. But, the core values passed down by George
Washington Carver remain the bedrock of everything we do as an agriculture
research service.”