In Venezuela, the development of the oil industry and the ensuing modernization of society led, from the first half of last century onwards, a very pronounced migration towards the urban areas. Disregard for the Venezuelan farmland conforms a metaphor that extends beyond traditional sociological implications. In our case it reaches other spheres, one of which is of particular interest to Interciencia, given that agricultural research is one of the fields with the greatest presence in the pages of the journal.

Even though from the beginnings of the country as a modern State the Venezuelan government has allocated important levels of resources, human as well as organizational and economic, towards agricultural research, such resources have never been present in sufficient quantities so as to allow the sector to fulfill the important national goal to which it is associated. Given that its high priority has never been made effective, neither in word nor in action, its contribution to the alimentary security of the country has been relative. Its significance, explored in terms of generation of knowledge, has been punctual, above all because of the relative easiness with which improvements achieved in the field are overcome by the biological variability moved forward by the evolutionary paradigm.

Although activities in scientific research and technological development in Venezuela had a significant progress throughout the first eighty years of the 20^th century, towards the end of the century it began to exhibit a worrisome stagnation that has extended into the initial years of the third millennium. Such advancement and deterioration of science and technology has reached as well the disciplines covered by agricultural sciences. Indeed, in 1983 agronomists represented the largest professional group within the Venezuelan scientific community, with a 16% participation. Sixteen years later they barely reach 6% of that community. Similar indicators can be reported for indexed publications in the same field.

What has been outlined is a sort of voiced secret, well known by people in the field and by directives of agricultural research organizations. And, while we are sure that all of them have made great efforts so as to reverse the course of a progressive decapitalization of this sector, it does not seem that their effort leads to any positive results. In a rare document¹ published by the highest Venezuelan governmental authorities in science and technology (at a time when there are very few official documents of a public nature that explain or justify the actions and policies in this realm) no mention is made of agricultural research, although the case of Aloe vera as an export product is mentioned. Within a new framework for public policies in science and technology that has as a leading principle the inclusion of those who have been traditionally excluded, it is concluded that, in the priority area related to "Attention to Life Quality Demands" ought to be considered all matters relative to alimentary security, which is the traditional justification for the creative labor of local researchers in agricultural sciences.

It appears as if the metaphor of disregard and abandonment continues to take root in what relates to research and development in agricultural sciences in Venezuela. The search for mechanisms to recover the unfortunate indicators to levels reached in the past should be a first step, since it should not be forgotten that, even at its best moments, agricultural research in Venezuela was in handicap and largely insufficient. In this regard, Interciencia is willing and ready to contribute from its pages in order to help solve this situation, which could be turning from critical to irreversible. Its pages are open to this end.

Jaime Requena

Academy of Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences

Caracas, Venezuela

Nota

¹ Genatios C, Lafuente M (2004) Ciencia y Tecnología para la Inclusión. In Ramírez RM (Ed.) ¿Cabemos Todos? Los desafios de la Inclusión. Club of Rome, Venezuelan Chapter. Editorial Arte. Caracas, Venezuela.