The American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) sent an open letter today to President Trump, asking that he "protect and defend the scientific integrity of federal scientists."
"Scientific discovery is inspiring, essential and cost-beneficial to all Americans. It serves the public interest through new technologies and services, protects communities with accurate forecasts, and provides decision-makers with a wealth of information crucial to effective public policy. But these benefits rely upon the scientific freedom of researchers and the open exchange of sound, peer-reviewed data. Federal scientists must be free to draw evidence-based conclusions and communicate their findings with the general public. Without such freedom, public trust in information coming from federal institutions will erode, and technological advancements in the private sector will slow.
"All scientists rely on robust federal science and data to benefit Americans' daily lives – ensuring a safe, nutritious, affordable, and plentiful food supply that is produced with sustainable technologies. We ask that you act quickly to protect federal scientists, bolstering the integrity and credibility of your Administration, and ensuring America continues to lead the world in scientific research and innovation."
According to the Societies' CEO, Dr. Ellen Bergfeld, the Societies "stand ready to work with (Trump) to ensure America's food and agricultural research enterprise remains strong and continues to drive innovation and new technologies."
The letter was signed by Bergfeld and the three society presidents: Jessica G. Davis (ASA), E. Charles Brummer (CSSA), and Andrew N. Sharpley (SSSA).
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The full text of the letter can be found at: https://www.agronomy.org/files/science-policy/letters/2017-01-30-acs-scientific-integrity-letter.pdf
For more information, contact Karl Anderson, director of science policy, [email protected].
The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) http://www.agronomy.org, is a scientific society helping its 8,000+ members advance the disciplines and practices of agronomy by supporting professional growth and science policy initiatives, and by providing quality, research-based publications and a variety of member services.
The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), founded in 1955, is an international scientific society comprised of 6,000+ members with its headquarters in Madison, WI. Members advance the discipline of crop science by acquiring and disseminating information about crop breeding and genetics; crop physiology; crop ecology, management, and quality; seed physiology, production, and technology; turfgrass science; forage and grazinglands; genomics, molecular genetics, and biotechnology; and biomedical and enhanced plants.
Media Contact
Susan Fisk
[email protected]
608-273-8091
@ASA_CSSA_SSSA
http://www.agronomy.org
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Story Source: Materials provided by Scienmag
