Boost for USAID food security programs

Enhancing global agricultural practices and policies

The United States, through USAID, is dedicating $57.4 million to fortify global food security and agricultural innovation. This announcement, made during the 2024 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue, earmarks significant support for the Feed the Future Innovation Labs.

This initiative collaborates with leading U.S. and international research institutions to develop climate-smart agricultural solutions. The focus areas for the new funding include sustainable intensification techniques at Kansas State University and cold-chain-independent livestock vaccines at Washington State University. These efforts are expected to yield substantial advances in productivity and disease prevention in agriculture.

The investment extends to existing labs as well, with notable projects at Cornell University for coffee research and at the University of Florida in partnership with UC Davis for poultry health improvements.

Additionally, the funding will enhance wheat disease resistance through collaborations with the USDA and CIMMYT and support the Global Crop Diversity Trust in safeguarding crop diversity against environmental changes.

A key part of the funding is also directed towards supporting African leadership in agricultural policy through Akademiya2063. This broad spectrum of projects underlines USAID’s commitment to addressing the urgent challenges of food security, poverty, and the effects of climate change on agriculture.

With a decade-long track record of reducing hunger and poverty in its target areas, Feed the Future continues to leverage global partnerships to facilitate sustainable growth and resilience in agricultural sectors worldwide.