Spring Break
Texas A&M agricultural research blooms under NIFA
By: Ann Littmann
Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: News
The creation of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture will offset the effects of booming population and increased demand for food, said United States Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
"[NIFA comes] not a moment too soon. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization predicts that food production will need to double by 2050 to meet demand, and this has to happen in an environment where our production system already is under threat," Vilsack said. "For every one degree increase in temperature from global warming, we expect a 10 percent drop in yields."
Vilsack launched the National Institute of Food and Agriculture on Oct. 8. The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities anticipate the creation of this institute will increase federally allocated funds for agricultural research.
"It is no exaggeration to say that NIFA will be a research 'start-up' company," Vilsack said. "We will be rebuilding our competitive grants program from the ground up to generate real results for the American people."
The Institute's purpose is to increase knowledge of agriculture, the environment and communities by supporting research, education and extension programs in the Land-Grant University System. Though the Institute does not perform research, education and extension programs, it funds these programs on the state and local levels and administers program leadership.
Vilsack said that agricultural research must adapt to environmental changes as the effects of global warming become more evident.
"U.S. Department of Agriculture science needs to change to respond to these pressures, to ensure the sustainability of the American food, fuel, and fiber system and to address some of America's - and the world's - most intractable problems," Vilsack said. "Ultimately our success in science has to be matched by impact in society."
Also on Oct. 8, a conference committee of the U.S. Senate and House approved a compromise spending bill for the Agriculture Department which increases spending on agricultural research from $174 million in 2009 to $2.767 billion in 2010. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture would receive $1.343 billion, $176 million more than what President Barack Obama requested.
"[NIFA comes] not a moment too soon. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization predicts that food production will need to double by 2050 to meet demand, and this has to happen in an environment where our production system already is under threat," Vilsack said. "For every one degree increase in temperature from global warming, we expect a 10 percent drop in yields."
Vilsack launched the National Institute of Food and Agriculture on Oct. 8. The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities anticipate the creation of this institute will increase federally allocated funds for agricultural research.
"It is no exaggeration to say that NIFA will be a research 'start-up' company," Vilsack said. "We will be rebuilding our competitive grants program from the ground up to generate real results for the American people."
The Institute's purpose is to increase knowledge of agriculture, the environment and communities by supporting research, education and extension programs in the Land-Grant University System. Though the Institute does not perform research, education and extension programs, it funds these programs on the state and local levels and administers program leadership.
Vilsack said that agricultural research must adapt to environmental changes as the effects of global warming become more evident.
"U.S. Department of Agriculture science needs to change to respond to these pressures, to ensure the sustainability of the American food, fuel, and fiber system and to address some of America's - and the world's - most intractable problems," Vilsack said. "Ultimately our success in science has to be matched by impact in society."
Also on Oct. 8, a conference committee of the U.S. Senate and House approved a compromise spending bill for the Agriculture Department which increases spending on agricultural research from $174 million in 2009 to $2.767 billion in 2010. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture would receive $1.343 billion, $176 million more than what President Barack Obama requested.
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