By Paul Basken, September 13, 2016
(Posted on the Chronicle of Higher Education)
Agricultural researchers — and the companies that support them — say it’s time for Congress to boost its investment in their work…Read more.
The Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation applauds the Obama administration’s budget request of $700 million in FY2017 for the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). If approved by Congress, the increase would double AFRI’s annual budget and fulfill the Congressional authorization passed eight years ago when the program was established as part of the 2008 Farm Bill.
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A new blueprint produced by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), “Science Breakthroughs 2030,” lays out how research can transform the fields of agriculture and food production. Drawn from an extensive process that incorporated the voices of 146 scientists in dozens of fields, the report highlights potential “breakthroughs” through five critical initiatives of agricultural research that need to be prioritized—microbiomes, gene editing, data analysis, sensors and biosensors, and transdisciplinary collaborations.
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The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations approved a $25 million addition for the USDA’s AFRI program for fiscal year 2017. If this funding level holds throughout the federal budget process, AFRI will receive a 15 percent increase in the past two fiscal years.
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