Sep 20, 2024

agInnovation leaders reveal 10-year agricultural research plan

AgInnovation, a network of agricultural experiment stations at land-grant universities, unveiled a 10-year Research Roadmap in Washington, D.C., outlining strategic priorities for agricultural innovation.

The Roadmap was developed by state agricultural experiment station directors from across agInnovation’s regions, including representatives from 1890 and 1994 land-grant universities and members of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). The plan aims to address major challenges in agriculture through research on climate solutions, water resiliency, and sustainable agricultural systems.

George Smith, chair of agInnovation and director of Michigan State University’s AgBioResearch, emphasized the importance of university-led research, which comprises 70% of publicly funded agricultural research in the U.S. This research generates $20 in economic activity for every dollar invested, he noted. However, Smith pointed out that current funding levels limit the ability to tackle these pressing issues.

“The U.S. must devote greater resources to agricultural innovation to keep pace with global competitors like China,” Smith said in a news release. “Food security is national security.”

The Roadmap calls for an annual investment of $1.9 billion in agricultural research at agInnovation institutions, representing just 1% of the federal research and development budget.

Operated under the auspices of the nation’s Land-grant universities, agInnovation is a nationwide system of agricultural experiment research stations dedicated to the science that feeds the world.

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