Page 32 - Strategic Plan

management practices. Our strategy will be to de- velop joint teams/partnerships in specific areas of work, greater use of the cluster approach, and exploration of joint institutional and private sector initiatives. Alignment of research programs and in- tegration of research needs are critical for UF/IFAS to add greater value and strategically address the challenges of agriculture and natural resource re- silience in Florida.
Private Sector Engagement
We advocate a more sustainable approach in de- veloping partnerships with the private sector as a necessary tactic. These partnerships will make our work more relevant for important clientele while creating opportunities for the following:
• Increased funding for our research.
• Increased collaborations and greater visibility
of our work.
• Increased recognition of our expertise in re-
search and extension.
Our current relationship with the private sector is based on individual faculty initiatives and the exis- tence of an Advisory Board made up of the private sector engaged in various agricultural activities. We plan for the Board to include representatives of the fruit and vegetable industry, the pest control industry, the ornamental and landscaping indus- tries, the environmental remediation and services industries, the marine and aquaculture industries, and the agribusiness industry. Our strategy with the private sector also includes implementation of a formal mechanism that facilitates greater partic- ipation, consultation, accountability, and transpar- ency through their contribution to our work, and more sharing of information on our research.
Partnerships with Key State Actors
Similarly, there is a tremendous scope for collabo- ration with various public entities (including USDA, academic institutions, Florida Department of Ag- riculture and Consumer Services, Florida Depart- ment of Environmental Protection, Florida Inter- national University, Miami-Dade College, etc.) and private entities (e.g., Montgomery Foundation, Fairchild Tropical Garden) in the state of Florida to address the challenges of agriculture and nat- ural resources. There is significant support for re- search and innovation in the agricultural and nat- ural resource management sectors judging from the range of institution with a vested interest in the agrifood system and ecological resources areas. The challenge lies in collaborating with and coor- dinating research and innovation efforts across these institutions. We will seek to improve these linkages as much as possible to ensure that they add greater value to achieving individual goals and building the needed critical mass and synergies to address the challenges faced in Florida’s agricul- tural and natural resource arenas.Partnerships in the United States
Our work will benefit from greater collaboration with similar programs of several institutions in the United States, particularly universities and agricul- tural research and training centers in California, Louisiana, Texas, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico that car- ryout research on tropical and subtropical agricul- ture. In the case of the University of California, we could benefit from their work on international mar- kets, invasive pests and diseases, the value of ag- ricultural research and development, agricultural policy, the rural environment, and natural resource management.
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