USDA Soliciting Stakeholder Input on Agricultural Innovations

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is requesting written input on objectives and opportunities leading to research and product goals to facilitate “transformative breakthroughs to enable U.S. agriculture to meet the Department’s goal to increase agricultural production by 40 percent to meet the needs of the global population in 2050 while cutting the environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half.” This effort is part of USDA’s Agricultural Innovation Agenda, the Department’s commitment to the “continued success of American farmers, ranchers, producers, and foresters in the face of future challenges.” Based on a 2019 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, Science Breakthroughs to Advance Food and Agricultural Research by 2030, USDA identified four innovation clusters with potential for transformative innovation: genome design, automation, prescriptive intervention, and systems based farm management. Stakeholder input will inform USDA as it works to develop a comprehensive strategy to guide public-sector research objectives and inform private-sector product development in order to maximize the U.S. Agriculture sector’s continued ability to meet future demands. Written comments must be submitted by August 1, 2020. More information at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-04-01/html/2020-06825.htm      
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news