Why Agricultural Education Investment is Critical for Global Food Security

The current food security landscape presents complex, interconnected challenges. To feed the 2050 population requires at least a 50% increase from 2011 levels, but labor inputs and the traditional, resource-intensive farming methods that were part of the first Green Revolution are inadequate.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, institutions such as the Rockefeller and Ford foundations, USAID and its precursors, and multilateral development banks made significant global investments in agricultural research, education, and training. These investments laid the foundation for the first Green Revolution, demonstrating that human capital and agricultural research and development (R&D) are as critical as physical inputs in driving productivity growth and food security.

Figure 1: Public Spending on Agricultural R&D, 1970–2020

Sources: USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) using data from National Science Foundation; USDA's Research, Education, and Economics Information System (REEIS); USDA's Current Research Inventory System (CRIS); and various private sector data sources.

Note: The R&D price index used to adjust expenditures for inflation is the Biomedical Research and Development Price Index (BRDPI) from the National Institutes of Health (January 2024 update). The constant US dollar values are generated by dividing the current dollar values by the R&D price index and dividing by 100.

However, since the 1970s, global public investment in agricultural education and R&D has declined or stagnated, except in a few countries, such as the People’s Republic of China (Ruane and Ramasamy 2023). For example, in the United States, public agricultural R&D spending—adjusted for inflation—fell by nearly one-third between its 2002 peak and 2019, returning to levels last seen in the 1970s.

There is now an urgent need for a renewed commitment to build agricultural human resources that can lead the next transformation. This is not just about teaching farming. It is about cultivating a new generation of innovators, scientists, policymakers, and agro-entrepreneurs who can lead the Green Revolution 2.0. Here are seven compelling reasons why investing in agricultural education is a global necessity.

First, the quantum leap in sustainable productivity that is necessary to feed our population requires educating scientists, policymakers, and high-tech farmers, enabling them to develop new climate-resilient crops and adopt sustainable practices. The first Green Revolution averted mass famine but at great environmental cost. The next revolution must be innovative and sustainable.

Second, innovation must reach those who need it most. But smallholders and family farmers often have limited education and are risk-averse. Worse, traditional extension services supporting agriculture have become ineffective, with farmers increasingly relying on commercial vendors for advice. Recent studies suggest that newer approaches, like social networks and farmer-to-farmer learning, have proven far more effective. Investing in education helps create "agropreneurs" who can champion innovation within farming communities, thereby accelerating the adoption of new technologies.

Third, the workforce requires significant upskilling as the nature of work in agriculture rapidly changes, with vertical farms, artificial technology-driven analytics, automated systems, and climate-resilient practices redefining food production. Farmers need new skills in data, systems management, digital operations, and climate-resilient methods. Without education, millions risk being left behind, especially in developing countries, resulting in worsening inequality. Investment in upskilling enables farmers to collaborate with technology, thereby avoiding a poverty trap.

Fourth, educating smallholder and family farmers will help aid their survival. Unlike past mechanization that favored large farms, today’s advances in precision and digital agriculture can empower smallholders. And it creates new opportunities for smallholder farmers to serve growing niche, diverse markets. With supportive policies and education, smallholders can become key drivers of inclusive agricultural transformation.

Fifth, agriculture needs more young talent as farmers worldwide age and youth leave rural areas to seek careers with better prospects. By integrating robotics, AI, biotechnology, and data science into agricultural education, coupled with the use of application-based market-access solutions, agricultural systems can be redesigned and farming can be made into an attractive, future-oriented career.

Sixth, agriculture is the second-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and consumes 70% of global fresh water. Climate-smart farming practices can reduce emissions, store carbon, and build resilience against droughts, pests, and diseases. Education is the gateway to equipping farmers with the knowledge to implement such solutions at scale.

Finally, the benefits of investing in agricultural education extend far beyond farms. A notable example of a successful investment was the US-funded Minnesota Project (1954–1962), in which the University of Minnesota helped rebuild Seoul National University's College of Agriculture and train a generation of agricultural scientists. These scientists not only transformed the Republic of Korea from a food-deficit to a food-secure nation, but are also contributing to agricultural advancements globally.

Agricultural education investment is a critical strategy for addressing multiple SDGs at the same time. For SDG 2, Zero Hunger, educated farmers and agricultural scientists can sustainably increase productivity, enabling them to feed growing populations. SDG 4, Quality Education, is addressed by improving rural populations’ access to quality education that will allow them to better face the changing agricultural landscape. The new methods and improved practices that farmers can learn through education programs will directly tackle SDG 13, Climate Action, by making these climate-smart practices more commonplace and thus, significantly reducing emissions.

Investment in agricultural education will have broader impacts as well. As smallholders and family farms become more viable and agriculture once again becomes an attractive career option, trends in rural-urban migration patterns will be addressed and pressures on declining rural communities reduced. Poverty and inequality can also be alleviated.

The first Green Revolution required significant and concerted funding. Policy makers can focus on scaling efforts globally. An example of concerted global action is the initiative being proposed by the Asian Development Bank in partnership with a consortium of agricultural universities to establish a global climate-smart, high-tech agricultural education network that will be able to mobilize public and private investments, accelerate knowledge sharing and technology adoption, and prepare, on a global scale, the next generation of agriculture leaders and entrepreneurs. 

The Global High-tech Agricultural Education Network (GHAN) held its first international workshop at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, on 25 September 2025. The workshop laid a solid foundation for education and research collaboration aimed at nurturing global agricultural talent and enhancing the capabilities of developing countries. During the event, participants also discussed strategies for advancing agricultural education, promoting technology exchange, and expanding international partnerships with leading agricultural universities.

D. Tilman. 1999. Global Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Expansion: The Need for Sustainable and Efficient Practices. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 96 (11): 5995–6000.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 2017. The Future of Food and Agriculture—Trends and Challenges.

FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO. 2024. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024—Financing to End Hunger, Food Insecurity and Malnutrition in All Its Forms.

J. Ruane and S. Ramasamy. 2023. Global Investments in Agricultural Research: Where Are We and Where Are We Going? Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Y. Yang et al. 2024. Climate Change Exacerbates the Environmental Impacts of Agriculture. Science. 385 (6713).