There is good evidence that public and private investment in science and innovation results in an increase in a country's wealth and standard of living.
Investment in science and innovation in agriculture increases productivity, increases our opportunity to add value to our products, provides us with the tools to mitigate our environmental footprint and increases the efficacy of our biosecurity effort.
Currently we have one of the lowest investments in research and development at around 1.2 percent of GDP. Initiatives such as the Primary Growth Partnership are encouraging industry investment in research and development. The Federation recommends policies which encourage an increase in public and industry spending on research and development to three percent as soon as possible.
Implementation of government science effort should be strategic and co-ordinated. The Federation welcomes the recent change in direction towards a more collaborative approach to science within New Zealand, but acknowledges that there is still a role for some competitive funding to encourage new ideas.
The Federation supports the moves to give CRIs more strategic responsibility which reflects New Zealand's needs rather than the emphasis on institution competition and profitability.
The Federation is supportive of the major percentage of science funding being allocated to Biological Economy outputs as it reflects our leadership and strength in this area.