The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is calling for public and private sector input on the most important agriculture innovation opportunities to be addressed in the near and long term. The input will be used to develop a comprehensive U.S. agriculture innovation strategy by the end of this year.
Despite the coronavirus crisis, USDA remains focused on stimulating “bold and transformative innovation”. This will enable it to better meet future demand and achieve its goal of increasing U.S. agriculture production by 40% while halving its environmental footprint.
USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky said, “We know now, more than ever, it is important to double down on innovation in order to support farmers, ranchers, and producers as they work to increase productivity while conserving our natural resource base. Although current dynamics have shifted, our focus remains on positioning American agriculture to be a part of the solution to future demands.”
USDA is inviting public comments and written stakeholder input through its Request for Information (RFI). The closing date for input is August 1, 2020.