Thanks, Fred, Steve, and Paul for coming in today.
We've been undertaking this study over the last several weeks, and market access is only one part of the equation. I'm sure you fellows know that. What we've been hearing from most people up here is that the other part of the equation is sadly lacking, and that is investment in research, development, innovation, and commercialization.
Our business expenditure rate has gone down to 1% of our GDP. The average in the OECD countries is 1.6%. We're down to half of what we were putting into this in 2006. They're saying you have to create what people want, you have to innovate what people want, and help them both at the producer level and at processing and marketing.
I'm wondering if during your conversations you're hearing.... I'm sure you must be. Can you acknowledge that you're hearing the same thing? What, if anything, can be done to create a more robust environment in innovation and commercialization through Growing Forward 2?