Kelly Greene
Greene Publishing, Inc.
Gale Buchanan grew up in Madison in the community of Hickory Grove and is the notable author of his second book Feeding the World: Agricultural Research in the Twenty-First Century. He is also the co-author of the book Leadership in Agriculture: Case Studies for a New Generation.
Buchanan is the oldest son of Joe and Lujett Buchanan and has three brothers: Randall (deceased), Bobby Joe and Dan Buchanan. He currently resides in Adel, Ga., with his wife, Carol and is retired from the position that he held as the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, at the University of Georgia and he is the former chief scientist and undersecretary of the United States Department of Agriculture.
His latest book Feeding the World: Agricultural Research in the Twenty-First Century is a culmination of his thoughts on the role of agricultural research in food production. He envisions a challenge to ensure food security for all people on the planet which can only be met through increased production of food supported by a robust agricultural research program.
According to Buchanan, there will be projected nine billion people to feed before the year 2050. He goes on to say that the only way that the world is to have enough food to sustain the growing population is to gain more knowledge about growing food and become more efficient. This can only be accomplished through the gathering of more information and technology and that is where research plays a key factor.
“Everyone, including consumers, has a role to play in food research and you have to be an informed society in order to be productive,” said Buchanan. “They should be informed in what is necessary to produce food an support farmers who actually produce the food.”
Buchanan's book was designed to inform the reader on the outstanding changes that a commitment to research can provide to individuals and how the research provides them with the information needed in order to feed themselves. It also provides information concerning a route for the future and helps point the reader in the right direction toward an adequately funded and more creative agricultural research system.
Buchanan offers several suggestions for strengthening the agricultural research system in the U.S. some of which include:
Engaging in more visionary high-risk research,
improved funding for support of agricultural research,
identifying new challenges for agricultural research, such as developing a better understanding of food and human health, and
creating a stand-along agricultural research agency similar to the National Institutes of Health.
If interested in purchasing a copy of Buchanan's latest book Feeding the World: Agricultural Research in the Twenty-First Century, two websites that feature the book are, Amazon's website that can be accessed by visiting, www.amazon.co-m/Feeding-World-Agri-cultural-Twenty-First-Extension, or Barnes and Noble's website can be accessed by visiting, www.barnesandnoble.c-om/w/feeding-the-world-gale-a-buchanan. Hardcover versions of this book are available on both of the websites for $35. E-book prices for this book on the websites range in price from $19.99 to $33.25.