Boost for USAID food security programs

Oct 31, 2024
By Farms.com

Enhancing global agricultural practices and policies

The United States, through USAID, is dedicating $57.4 million to fortify global food security and agricultural innovation. This announcement, made during the 2024 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue, earmarks significant support for the Feed the Future Innovation Labs.

This initiative collaborates with leading U.S. and international research institutions to develop climate-smart agricultural solutions. The focus areas for the new funding include sustainable intensification techniques at Kansas State University and cold-chain-independent livestock vaccines at Washington State University. These efforts are expected to yield substantial advances in productivity and disease prevention in agriculture.

The investment extends to existing labs as well, with notable projects at Cornell University for coffee research and at the University of Florida in partnership with UC Davis for poultry health improvements.

Additionally, the funding will enhance wheat disease resistance through collaborations with the USDA and CIMMYT and support the Global Crop Diversity Trust in safeguarding crop diversity against environmental changes.

A key part of the funding is also directed towards supporting African leadership in agricultural policy through Akademiya2063. This broad spectrum of projects underlines USAID’s commitment to addressing the urgent challenges of food security, poverty, and the effects of climate change on agriculture.

With a decade-long track record of reducing hunger and poverty in its target areas, Feed the Future continues to leverage global partnerships to facilitate sustainable growth and resilience in agricultural sectors worldwide.

Video: Veteran Farmers: A Legacy of Service in Rural America

Veterans Day is a time to honor the men and women who have selflessly protected our freedoms and values. And for some, the transition from military service to civilian life brings them back to the farm.

At Farm Bureau, we believe it’s important to not only celebrate veterans but also those who continue to make a difference in agriculture and their community. We've partnered with Farm Credit to establish the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence to shine a light on those who have continued to go above and beyond to serve their communities.

This year, we recognize retired Colonel Joe Ricker as the inaugural Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence winner. Joe served over 30 years in the Army before retiring from the Pentagon and completing tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the Army, his commitment to excellence in farming and enriching the lives of veterans has blossomed in a myriad of ways in both his local community of Wilkinson, Indiana, and across the country. Joe grows apples and raises bees on his farm in Indiana. Joe founded “Veterans IN Farming,” an organization, now with more than 1,100 members, dedicated to providing veterans in Indiana with the tools and training to succeed in agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization, comprised of and directed by farm and ranch families who engage in all types of food, fuel and fiber production.