23 January 2026, Mexico: The world’s food system is under growing strain. Unlike many forms of innovation, agricultural research cannot be paused and restarted without consequence. Agricultural research delivers some of the highest returns of any public investment, but only over time. Decisions made today determine the productivity of farms, the affordability of food and the resilience of food systems decades from now. As climate change accelerates and global demand for food continues to rise, the need for shared, long-term agricultural science has not diminished.

Source: International New York Times January 23, 2026 13:33 UTC