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# GRAPHIC: Public funding of agriculture R&D has dropped precipitously since early 2000s
- URL: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/graphic-public-funding-of-agriculture-rd-has-dropped-precipitously-since-early-2000s/
- Published: 2022-06-09T18:38:38.000Z
- Updated: 2022-06-09T18:38:38.000Z
- Description: America has fallen behind other countries, particularly China, in publicly funding agriculture research and development.
- Author: Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest
- Tags: Data Harvest, National, TP::Explainer, Research and Development, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-06-18 04:56

Public investment in research and development in agriculture has fallen by about a third since 2002, according to a new U.S. Department of Agriculture [report](https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2022/june/investment-in-u-s-public-agricultural-research-and-development-has-fallen-by-a-third-over-past-two-decades-lags-major-trade-competitors/?ref=investigatemidwest.org).

Land-grant universities perform much of the public R&D into agriculture. In the data, "public" refers to where the R&D was performed, not where the funding came from. Universities [receive funding from corporations](https://www.investigatemidwest.org/corporate-money-keeps-university-ag-schools-relevant-and-makes-them-targets-of-donor-criticism/) for some of their agricultural research.

America has fallen behind other countries, particularly China, in publicly funding agriculture R&D, according to the [report](https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2022/june/investment-in-u-s-public-agricultural-research-and-development-has-fallen-by-a-third-over-past-two-decades-lags-major-trade-competitors/?ref=investigatemidwest.org). Surpassing the U.S.'s investment in the mid-2000s, China now [spends the most](https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/charts/104006/RandD4.png?v=7506.9&ref=investigatemidwest.org) on public R&D on agriculture.

*Top image: A building on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana, Illinois. photo by Investigate Midwest*