Agricultural Research Needs to Be a Priority
February 4, 2016
From: USDA | National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Sonny Ramaswamy, Director, NIFA
Seeing President Obama’s fiscal year 2017 budget proposal and the strong commitment it makes to agricultural research reminds me of Dr. Consuelo De Moraes.
As a university researcher and panel manager of the National Research Initiative (NRI) competitive grants program, I called Dr. De Moraes in 2002 to inform her that USDA was going to fund her research proposal on determining how plants defend themselves against insects, so farmers could exploit the same as a means to control pests. She screamed with happiness. Later I learned that people heard the scream throughout the building at Pennsylvania State University. After that, Dr. De Moraes went on to great acclaim as one of the leading insect researchers.
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Here are a few recent examples of outcomes resulting from research investments in the AFRI program: new ways to deal with the influenza virus in pigs; increased milk production with fewer resources; innovative and effective ways to manage pests; innovations in irrigation technologies resulting in water savings and improved nitrogen use efficiency; significant boosts in wheat, corn, and beef cattle productivity despite droughts and increasing temperatures; increased profitability of farmers and livestock producers; conversion of biomass into fuel for commercial and military jets; stronger biomaterials from woody and other biomass; development of new sensors to detect and to deal with pathogens of food safety importance without relying on antibiotics; protection of pollinators; significant improvement in children’s nutritional health; and last, but not least, new economic enterprises and jobs.
Imagine the many, many more discoveries, innovations, and solutions that could be catalyzed if AFRI is funded at its full authorized level?
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