Last week U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the launching of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Vilsack made this announcement while giving a speech at the National Press Club that “outlined his vision for addressing [] some of the world’s major challenges over the coming decades [.]”The Wisconsin Ag Connection online stated that Vilsack “described the new Institute as a ‘research “start-up” company’ for agricultural research.” Vilsack said he would like to see USDA research focus on fixing some of the biggest challenges facing a global population of over 6 billion people—particularly areas of environmental health, human health, food security, climate change, and renewable energy.
NIFA was established in the 2008 Farm Bill to be the USDA’s version of the National Institutes of Health. NIFA will replace the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.
Dr. Roger Beachy, founding president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis will be the first director of NIFA. According to the Kelsey Volkmann of the St. Louis Business Journal online, “The new agency will award competitive grants to fund research and technological innovations aimed at making agriculture more productive, environmentally sustainable and economically viable.”
Beachy stressed the important role plants will play in accomplishing Secretary Vilsack and the Obama administration’s goals for the agency. ‘“Most of us realize that plants are the source of oxygen, clean up the environment, and are food, feed, fiber and fuel,” he said. “They are truly renewable. As we move toward a greener future, plants will play an incredibly important role.”’
To see the USDA news release click here.
To read the Wisconsin Ag Connection story click here.
To read the St. Louis Business Journal story click here.
Posted: 10/12/09
