WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 17, 2024) – Farm Journal Foundation is pleased that all four leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture committees have released Farm Bill legislation, frameworks, and principles that prioritize U.S. public investment in agricultural research and innovation.
While each of the four leaders have taken different approaches, the Foundation is encouraged to see that investments in research have been included and elevated. Farm Journal Foundation’s top priority in the next Farm Bill is to secure increased resources for critical public investments in agricultural research, development, and extension. In order to ensure these increased funds for agricultural research and innovation benefit farmers, ranchers, and producers, it is critical to pass a new, five-year Farm Bill this year.
“Farmers face increasing risks from climate change, pests and disease outbreaks, and global market volatility, so passing a new Farm Bill this year will give them greater policy certainty as they navigate this challenging environment,” said Katie Lee, Vice President of Government Affairs at Farm Journal Foundation. “In particular, farmers need continued access to a pipeline of innovations to ensure that they can remain productive and profitable, so it is vital that the U.S. strongly invests in agricultural research and development.”
Farm Journal Foundation is particularly supportive of provisions in the Senate frameworks that would provide robust funding for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR). FFAR is a public-private partnership first established in the 2014 Farm Bill that to date has matched every dollar received from the government with $1.40 from a non-federal source, often from the private sector – a great return on taxpayer investment.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow’s framework would provide $250 million in funding for FFAR over the next five years, a critical investment in public-private research that will benefit U.S. farmers, ranchers, and producers, as well as smallholder producers in lower-income countries. The framework includes other priorities in the research title, which “builds the groundwork for an agriculture research moonshot,” something that the U.S. desperately needs to remain competitive in agriculture on the global stage. China and Brazil already outspend the U.S. on public-sector agricultural research, according to a report from Farm Journal Foundation, putting American agriculture’s competitiveness at risk.
Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman’s framework would provide increased funding for FFAR, an important piece of the framework’s broader strategy strongly supported by Farm Journal Foundation that “jump-starts chronically underfunded agricultural research programs and facilities, allowing the U.S. to reclaim our rightful place at the forefront of innovation.”
In addition, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson has consistently emphasized the importance of investing in agricultural innovation, including at a Farm Journal Foundation event at Kansas State University last year. As a result, the Farm Bill recently approved by the House Agriculture Committee prioritizes significant investment in agricultural research and development.
House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott also expressed support for agricultural research funding in the principles document that he released in advance of the House Agriculture Committee’s mark-up of the Farm Bill.
Farm Journal Foundation will continue to advocate for robust funding for FFAR to be included in the Farm Bill as part of a strategic and impactful set of increased public investments in agricultural innovation that can also leverage significant additional private-sector resources and expertise.
“Publicly funded agricultural research supports farmers both in the U.S. and abroad, promoting global food and nutrition security, stability, and economic growth,” Lee said. “Farm Journal Foundation will continue to advocate for the passage of a new, five-year Farm Bill this year that includes essential public funding for agricultural research, development, and extension, including funding for FFAR.”
Media Contact
Whitney McFerron, Vice President of Communications
Farm Journal Foundation
About Farm Journal Foundation
Farm Journal Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to advance global food and nutrition security, sustainable agriculture, and rural economic development. The Foundation believes in a future where food systems work for everyone – farmers, consumers, economies, and the environment. Achieving this vision starts with conversations – bringing all voices to the table to discuss challenges to our global food systems and how we can create tangible, innovative solutions that serve us all. To learn more, visit www.farmjournalfoundation.org.
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