MANHATTAN — The U.S. Agency for International Development
today [Tuesday 23rd September] awarded Kansas State University a $50 million grant to establish a
Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Sustainable Intensification. The
grant supports USAID's agricultural research and capacity building work
under Feed the Future, the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative.
Read more HERE.
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| Kansas State University |
"Through
our Feed the Future Innovation Labs, USAID is empowering the world's
finest universities to help improve nutrition and end widespread hunger
around the world," said USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah. "By creating
and scaling cutting-edge solutions to our most pressing agricultural
challenges, we can help the world's most vulnerable people move from
dependency to self-sufficiency — and out of the tragic cycle of extreme
poverty."
"With four Feed the Future Innovation
Labs now hosted by the College of Agriculture and K-State Research and
Extension, USAID is making a nearly $100 million investment in Kansas
State University's ability to provide leadership to the global food
systems research, teaching and extension efforts,” said John Floros,
dean of the College of Agriculture at Kansas State University.
Nina
Lilja, associate dean of International Agricultural Programs and
co-principal investigator for the lab, said, "USAID is recognizing
Kansas State University's ability to develop and implement effective
science-based international programs in agriculture."
Karen
Burg, vice president for research and professor of chemical
engineering, said, "The grant is a major win and a testament to the
capabilities and longstanding commitment to agriculture shared by Kansas
State University and the state of Kansas."
This
newest Feed the Future lab will identify technologies to help
smallholder farmers in Africa and South Asia improve land, water, soil,
crop and livestock management while simultaneously improving yields and
sustaining natural resources. The lab will focus on countries in West
Africa, east and south Africa, and South Asia.
"The
research is mutually beneficial to both international and U.S.
agriculture," said Vara Prasad, Kansas State University principal
investigator who will serve as director of the lab. "We will be working
on leading research and capacity-building of all our partners, including
training graduate students, scientists and farmers."
Gary
Pierzynski, university distinguished professor and head of the Kansas
State University agronomy department, is also a co-principal
investigator of the lab.
This is the fourth Feed
the Future Lab awarded to Kansas State University. Other labs focus on
sorghum and millet research; applied wheat genomics; and the reduction
of postharvest loss. Currently there are 24 Innovation Labs led by 15
U.S. universities, with involvement from more than 60 U.S. colleges and
universities in 39 states.
Feed the Future is
working to scale-up proven technologies and activities, expand nutrition
interventions and programs, and conduct research to create the next
generation of innovations that can change the lives of food producers
and their families. In 2013, Feed the Future reached more than 7 million
farmers and other food producers with new technologies and management
practices on more than 4 million hectares of land, while reaching more
than 12.5 million children with high impact nutrition interventions that
improve health and development.
The U.S. Agency for International Development is leading the U.S. Government's efforts to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies.Read more HERE.
The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
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