Posted June 24, 2014
Board of directors to be named for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, which was created by Congress in last year’s farm bill, according to a Roll Call article by Ellyn Ferguson available here.
The program is intended to bring funds into scientific study that made the U.S. an “agricultural powerhouse.”
The $200 million bill authorized mandatory spending to attract matching amounts from the private sector to finance research. Seven areas of research interest were laid out by Congress, including plant and animal health, food safety, nutrition, and health and renewable energy.
Bill Gates, co-chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, praised the bill and stated that he looked forward to working with its grantees.
The first test for the foundation will be the formation of its board members, but eight directors will be named from recommendations by the National Academy of Sciences and seven will be named from 200 industry nominees.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, along with the department’s three top research officials and a representative from the National Science Foundation, will select board members that balance the views of different sectors in U.S. agriculture. The officials are expected to finalize their decisions in the one to two months.
For more information on farm bills, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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