Last year, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine created a committee of 8 staff members and 13 scientists from across the US to tackle challenges and identify opportunities for growth within the food and agriculture sector. The committee members, with backgrounds in various fields, such as nutrition, climate science and nanotechnology, are currently working on a “strategic vision” to be released in March 2018 for how to increase quantities and improve qualities of food products. The premier meeting of the committee’s Science Breakthroughs 2030 project was held earlier this month, and the consensus was that food and agriculture is in need of a “moonshot” project to address innovations in the sector.

The USDA’s R&D budget for agriculture has not increased in 10 years, and while irrigation was seen as a plus for agriculture, the drying up of water sources has pressured farmers and scientists to find alternative methods of growing crops with less water. Pathogens also present a serious challenge to global food supplies. Future diseases are a concern, but even diseases that are threatening fruits and vegetables currently do not have cures. In using genomic data, drones and sensor monitoring for precision agriculture, experts hope to have “data behind every seed” planted, as Susan Wessler, co-chair of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, stated. Although new technologies are of key importance in revolutionizing the agriculture sector, they must be adaptable by famers and their businesses, as well. The agriculture workforce is also in need of a revamp, as the top agricultural labs are mostly filled with international researchers, from countries like China in which agriculture is considered an esteemed career path. The committee is working on creating a “magnet” to attract young and diverse researchers to the US.

The Science Breakthroughs 2030 report is expected to be completed before the current farm bill expires. The committee will meet five times in 2017. The filmed first session is available online.

Source: Washington Post