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PROGRAM LINKAGES 



Efforts to promote old and new uses for agricultural products are 

 most likely to succeed if they can be linked to the trade, 

 environmental, rural development, commodity, and research 

 initiatives already underway in USDA. In most of these areas, the 

 link is easy to identify and clearly coirplementary . For example, 

 new uses can be tied directly to rural development efforts if we 

 are willing to emphasize local value added in our efforts to 

 promote feed stocks and energy from agriculture. 



This same conplementary link can be forged with commodity concerns 

 interested in expcinded markets and diversification opportunities. 

 New use links to the agricultural research program also make sense; 

 improve technology and the bench science underlying it are critical 

 if new and expeinded uses are to pass the market test. On a similar 

 note, if we Ccui interest American industry in new and expanded uses 

 for farm products, chances are that we can interest industry 

 abroad. This suggest a natural partnership with agricultural trade 

 interests concern with reinforcing the U.S. 's competitive position 

 cind expanding sales abroad. 



Without closer links to these other initiatives, the probability of 

 success in promoting new uses would be significantly smaller. It 

 will prove more difficult to generate and sustain policymaker 

 interest and program manager support as well as industry 

 involvement. Competition for limited public funds available for 

 use in agriculture is likely to be fierce and new use efforts could 



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