Today, the State Department announced eight Feed the Future Innovation Labs in partnership with U.S. Land Grant Universities from around the country. The Labs put American researchers to work on global threats to agriculture that do not stop at the border, such as crop pests, livestock disease, and depleted soils before they reach U.S. farms and grocery shelves, delivering direct returns for American taxpayers. Research on animal health, cereals, and soil fertility helps protect U.S. producers from emerging threats. Work on coffee, cacao, and peanuts strengthens the supply chains behind products Americans buy every day. Helping developing countries become more productive builds future markets for American firms, farmers, trade organizations, and research organizations.
The track record is proven. Investment in U.S. university-led international agricultural research returns $8 for every $1 invested. This helps keep American universities at the forefront of agricultural science and trains the next generation of researchers across the United States.
The universities and their respective Innovation Labs include:
- Auburn University: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fertilizer and Soil Health
- University of Florida: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for High Value Crops - Safeguarding Agriculture, Food, and Economy (SAFE)
- University of Georgia: Feed the Future Food Innovation Lab for Peanut
- University of Hawaii: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Coffee and Cacao
- Kansas State University: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Cereals and Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Sustainable Intensification of Targeted Agricultural Systems (SITAS)
- Mississippi State University: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish
- Washington State University: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Animal Health
