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Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, I am Monika Escher, Chair of the 

 International Committee on Organization and Policy (ICOP), of the Board on Agriculture, 

 NASULGC. I am pleased to have this opportunity to participate in these hearings on the 

 science and education programs at USDA. 



The rapid spread of technological change is revolutionizing virtually all aspects of our 

 lives, from the genetic mapping of plants to the near-instantaneous transmission of 

 information anywhere in the world. In order for the United States to sustain a 

 competitive advantage in the world, the U.S. science and technology base must be 

 maintained and enhanced. Any reorientation of the USDA science and education agencies 

 must consider that the prosperity of U.S. agriculture will depend on our active partici- 

 pation in the global science and education networks. 



Developing international research, higher education, £ind information programs that 

 result in economic benefits to U.S. farmers can be accomplished by systematically linking 

 the U.S. science and education commimity - the land-grant system ~ to its international 

 counterparts. Global interaction can be realized in the following areas: 



■ Research: Collaboration with international agricultural research centers is necessary 

 to ensure that U.S. scientists have access to state-of-the-art products and tech- 

 nologies. New relationships with overseas agricultural research institutes need to be 

 established. 



