Rep. Cammack Meets With University of Florida Agriculture Scientists To Discuss How Research Supports Global Food Security & Nutrition

GAINESVILLE, FL – Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack met with agricultural scientists at the University of Florida and leaders from Farm Journal Foundation to discuss how public support for agricultural research and development (R&D) can help alleviate global hunger and malnutrition.

The event, which included a tour of agricultural research facilities at the university and a roundtable discussion, highlighted how innovations can strengthen global food supply chains, prevent animal disease outbreaks, and enable farmers to increase production with fewer resources. Today, the global food system is under significant pressure from challenges including the conflict in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, and extreme weather events. However, new technologies and practices generated from agricultural R&D can help make food systems more resilient, driving efforts to increase production of healthy foods, preserve natural resources, and enable farmers to adapt to different weather patterns.

“Food security is national security, which is why it’s so important to work together in support of necessary sustainable and innovative solutions to the problems our food supply chains face,” said Rep. Cammack. “Our farmers, ranchers, and producers work tirelessly to feed our nation and the world, and I’m grateful to the University of Florida and its Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) for their critical investments into research and development on these fronts. We’re always looking for better ways to best support the folks who feed, clothe, and fuel our country, and I’m grateful to the Farm Journal Foundation and the University of Florida for making today’s event possible.”

“UF/IFAS continues to innovate the way to increase food production globally with less environmental impact,” said Scott Angle, UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of UF/IFAS. “That challenge is getting steeper, but so is the UF/IFAS commitment with the recent launch of our Global Food Systems Institute and our historic investment in artificial intelligence to revolutionize agriculture. Our solutions to the challenges of producing food in a subtropical/tropical climate make our science directly applicable in large regions of the world that face food insecurity. At the same time, what we learn abroad helps Florida farmers and ranchers.”

Agricultural research has one of the highest returns of any public investment, returning on average $20 in benefits for every $1 invested. Agricultural research undertaken in the public sector, such as that being conducted at the University of Florida, has an important role to play in strengthening global food security. While private sector research investments have had a significant impact, particularly on yields for large commodity crops such as corn and soybeans, the public sector can support early stage research to pave the way for significant long-term innovations. Public investment can also support comparatively underexplored areas such as animal health, environmental, and food safety research, and unlock innovations for smallholder farmers overseas, helping developing countries feed themselves.

“Agricultural research investments are absolutely vital, especially as we look toward a future with rising global food demand – including demand for nutritious animal-sourced foods – and increasing pressure on natural resources,” said Katie Lee, Vice President of Government Affairs at Farm Journal Foundation. “Agricultural innovations benefit farmers and consumers both in the U.S. and abroad, helping to sustainably increase production and ensure that there will continue to be enough safe, affordable, and nutritious food for everyone.”

###