THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE (NIFA) AND THE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE (AFRI) October, 2012 A History
About 25 years ago I became enthralled with the potential of fundamental plant science. It was then clear that in my field, medicine, advances in fundamental biology including genetics, cell biology, immunology and molecular biology were leading to spectacular benefits... Improving agriculture seemed to me to have something in common with improving the treatment of cancer, for plants use basically the same chemistry and the same genetic code as all living things including humans. The goal is to understand the biologic processes of a living system so that one can change them. If done wisely, great benefits to humanity can follow. DR. WILLIAM H. DANFORTH William Henry Hatch Lecture 9 November 2008
USDA R&D Budget = $2 billion USDA R&D Budget = $2 billion ARS $237 million CSREES (later NIFA) Forest Service $559 million ERS - $67 million Office of the Secretary - $58 million
CSREES Budget = $559 million CSREES Budget = $559 million $106 million $85 million $181 million Mandatory Competitively Awarded Grants Formula Funds NRI (later folded into AFRI) Earmarks
The Start of an Idea In 2002, Lesher & Russell (today, The Russell Group), working on behalf of Dr. Bill Danforth and Washington University in St. Louis, began advocating before Congress a renewed emphasis on competitive, peer-reviewed, federal agricultural research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The idea was born out of a meeting in the fall of 2002 during which it was decided to form an outside group to endorse the concept of a new USDA research structure. At that point, the House had passed its version of the 2002 Farm Bill, and the Senate was days away from considering its version on the Senate floor.
NIFA Task Force (2002-2004) The final 2002 Farm Bill conference report directed the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a task force charged with reviewing the Agricultural Research Service and to evaluate the merits of establishing a National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman selected Bill Danforth to chair that task force, which published a report in July 2004 recommending the formation of a National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the USDA to ensure the technological superiority of American agriculture. The report called for NIFA to report directly to the Secretary of Agriculture, award grants strictly on a competitive, peer-reviewed basis, be led by a distinguished scientist appointed by the President with confirmation of the U.S. Senate, and receive a budget of $1 billion.
Creation of NIFA in the 2008 Farm Bill The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) was formed by the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) to improve the oversight, administration and execution of competitive research grants at the USDA. NIFA assumed all authorities from the Cooperative State, Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) and houses all competitive grant programs. Included under the purview of NIFA is the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), which serves as the principal competitively-awarded, peer-reviewed agriculture research grant program.
AFRI Priority Areas Plant health and production of plant products; Animal health and production of animal products; Food safety, nutrition, and health; Renewable energy, natural resources, and environment; Agriculture systems and technology; and Agriculture economics and rural communities.
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Who applies to AFRI? FY2010 Funding* Nearly $4 billion in grant requests $574 million in applications from non-land grant institutions Over 500 different institutions applied to AFRI in FY2010 including the 107 land grant colleges and universities. *Latest available fiscal year funding data
The Urgent Need for Ag Research World population is expected to rise to 9 billion people by 2050. In the decades ahead, American farmers must double production using less water on the same amount of land. Simultaneously, American farmers must compete against cheaper land prices and lower costs of labor throughout the world: China has doubled its share of public agricultural R&D expenditures Other countries increased their share by 5% The United States meanwhile has struggled to maintain 1% funding growth Faced with a fiercely competitive global economy, U.S. public agricultural R&D spending cannot continue to wane.
USDA R&D Spending Trends Overall USDA ag research funding peaked in 2003 at $2.9 billion. FY 2012 USDA R&D was funded at $2.3 billion. 10-year trend: -21% ARS (intramural) and NIFA (extramural) growth are basically flat. Since its inception, AFRI funding has grown from $201.5 million to $264.5 million. 4-year trend: +31%
AFRI Funding The 2008 farm bill authorized $700 million of annual funding for AFRI. To date, the highest level of funding achieved totals $264.5 million. Federal Funding for Competitive Research Grants, FY 2002 FY 2012 Fiscal Year FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 Competitive Research Grants Funding $120,452,000 $167,131,000 $165,000,000 $181,000,000 $183,000,000 Fiscal Year FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 Competitive Research Grants Funding $190,229,000 $192,229,000 $201,504,000 $262,482,000 $262,482,000 $264,500,000
AFRI Funding in FY 2013 Appropriations Bills AFRI FUNDING HOUSE The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee provided $276.5 million for AFRI in the subcommittee markup of the FY2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill. AFRI is the only program with a significant bump-up compared to the FY 2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill. This is a significant number because it is $12 million more than the fiscal year 2012 outlay but perhaps more importantly because it is $47 million more than the House provided last year. The NIFA topline was cut by 2.27%. AFRI FUNDING SENATE Only two programs received funding increases in the Senate Agriculture Appropriations FY 2013 markup: FDA s Food Safety Program and AFRI. AFRI is funded at $297.9 million. Last year it was funded at $264.5 million. Although we would have liked to surpass $300 million, in this budget environment we are pleased with the gains we achieved -- a $33.4 million increase or 12.6%.
Going Forward The importance of ag research, specifically the need for more competitively awarded, peer reviewed research grants, is gaining traction in Washington: AFRI was one of two programs to see a funding increase in the FY2013 Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill and the only program with a significant funding bump-up in the FY2013 House Agriculture Appropriations bill. SOAR is well positioned to advocate for significantly greater AFRI funding before Members of Congress. By working with major research institutions, farm groups, scientific organizations, consumer groups and private sector partners, SOAR s sciencebased coalition has a broader reach than traditional farm group coalitions and will resonate with Members outside of the immediate agriculture community.
Finally, the challenges are too great to delay any longer. If nothing is done in this time of global competition, America will continue to lose its competitive edge to cheaper land and low cost labor, nor will we capitalize optimally on our opportunities for bio-energy, or to protect our health and environment in a changing world. A parallel could be drawn using U.S. Energy Policy where until recently we failed to act for thirty years. If we do not act to enhance agricultural research now, our cost of production will continue to rise, our environmental quality will suffer and future farm program spending will escalate. DR. WILLIAM H. DANFORTH Testimony before the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry 7 March 2007