|
Making a Difference
Pollinators Support Agriculture Profitability
Pollinators improve the quality and quantity of farmers’ crop yields, adding an estimated $18 billion in crop production revenue annually. Pollinator species are at risk because of a variety of factors including a changing climate, pesticides, pathogens and land use change.
With funding from a number USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture programs including both competitive and capacity programs, Land-grant Universities across the nation are working together to improve habitats and protect pollinators. Read more about the work being done across the country to support pollinators.
Bee covered in pollen. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.
|
|
National Strategy to Reduce Food Loss and Waste and Recycle Organics
USDA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the White House announced the National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics as part of President Biden’s whole-of-government approach to tackle climate change, feed people, address environmental justice, and promote a circular economy.
The strategy released today provides tangible goals that the U.S. government partners along with retailers and consumers can work toward to help further prevent the loss and waste of food, increase recycling of food and other organic materials to support a more circular economy for all, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save households and businesses money, and build cleaner, healthier communities.
The strategy highlights actions that USDA, EPA, and FDA could take. Some of the priority actions that NIFA will lead include:
- Investing $2.5 million to rigorously test and measure the effectiveness of different consumer messages to encourage households to reduce food waste, in preparation for a National Wasted Food Prevention Campaign.
- Funding a new NIFA $1.5 million Center for Research, Behavioral Economics, and Extension on Food Loss and Waste to create meaningful momentum on food loss and waste prevention among land-grant universities, their partners and external stakeholders.
Read more about the national strategy and its objectives.
|
Extension Foundation Publishes Climate Action Plan White Paper
With support from USDA NIFA, the Extension Foundation has released a climate action plan white paper that outlines innovative solutions uniquely tailored to combat the climate crisis. This work was the result of a NIFA-supported convening that took place in early 2024 in Tucson, where national Extension leaders gathered to accelerate climate-related applied research and programming and elevate Extension’s contribution to climate resiliency, mitigation and adaptation efforts.
The recently released white paper builds on NIFA-supported work undertaken by researchers at Colorado State University to produce a National Climate Change Roadmap that provides a science agenda to help inform the next decade of research.
|
|
NIFA Invests $70 Million in Visionary Sustainable Agricultural Research Projects
NIFA has announced an investment of $70 million in seven sustainable agricultural projects that promise to transform the U.S. food and agricultural system to increase agricultural production while also reducing its environmental footprint.
Read more about this investment made under the Sustainable Agricultural Systems program area of NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, the nation’s leading and largest competitive grants program for agricultural sciences.
Additional Award Announcements This Week
|
|
Washington State University Develops Robotic Gripper for Automated Apple Picking
A robotic gripper developed by Washington State University (WSU) researchers is able to gently grab the majority of apples out of a tree without damaging the fruit. The innovative gripper is part of a robotic set-up that the researchers are hoping will someday do fruit picking and other farm chores for Washington farmers to help alleviate ongoing labor shortages.
Weighing about two-thirds of a pound, the gripper uses three cables to move 3D-printed hard plastic and silicone rubber-tipped fingers.The fingers have to be gentle enough that they don’t damage the apples but strong enough to pull the apple off the tree. At a cost of about $30 to produce, the gripper includes a switch to grasp the apple and let go. It was able to successfully grab more than 87.5% of the apples in an orchard without damaging them. Read more about this NIFA supported research.
Close up image of robotic apple picking tool developed by WSU. Image courtesy of WSU.
|
|
|
USDA Releases Updated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan
USDA has joined more than 20 federal agencies to release its updated Climate Adaptation Plan and expand efforts to ensure federal operations are increasingly resilient to climate change impacts. The updated adaptation plans advance the National Climate Resilience Framework, which helps to align climate resilience investments across the public and private sector through common principles and opportunities for action to build a climate resilient nation.
USDA released its initial Climate Adaptation Plan in 2021 and progress reports outlining advancements toward achieving their adaptation goals in 2022. In coordination with the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Management and Budget, agencies updated their Climate Adaptation Plans for 2024 to 2027 to better integrate climate risk across their mission, operations, and asset management. Read more about this effort.
|
|
Open Data Framework Program Pre-recorded Webinar Available for Viewing
Applications are currently being accepted for the Open Data Framework program. Deadline for applications is July 18.
A pre-recorded technical assistance webinar is now available to help those interested in submitting a proposal. NIFA program staff will host a live Q&A webinar at 2 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 1.
The program will build a framework needed to create a neutral and secure data repository and cooperative where producers, universities and nonprofit entities can store and share data in ways that will foster agricultural innovation and will support technological progress, production efficiencies, and environmental stewardship
|
|
|
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is committed to ensuring that its programs and services are accessible to all individuals, including individuals with disabilities and individuals with limited English proficiency. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any NIFA event, please contact the appropriate Program staff no later than 10 days prior to the event. To find Program staff by event, please visit the NIFA Calendar of Events. NIFA Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to limited English proficient individuals upon request. If you need interpretation or translation services please visit NIFA language services or contact Lois Tuttle, Equal Opportunity Specialist, at Lois.Tuttle@usda.gov or (443) 386-9488 no later than 10 days prior to the event.
NIFA’s mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and Extension that solves societal challenges. NIFA’s investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture. Keep informed about NIFA, USDA, our Land-grant and non-Land-grant university partners, and stakeholders with the NIFA Update. Read past issues online, sign up for email updates or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @USDA_NIFA, #NIFAImpacts or LinkedIn @usda-nifa.
If you wish to submit a news item or information, send an email to NIFAUpdate.
USDA is an equal opportunity lender, provider, and employer.
|
|
|
|
|
