USDA Agricultural Research Service 2018-2020 Strategic Plan
Country
Type of law
Policy
Date of original text
Date of latest amendment
Abstract
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service 2018-2020 Strategic Plan is a national sectoral plan of the United States of America. Its main objective is for the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to deliver scientific solutions to national and global agricultural challenges.
The Plan aims to eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. To this end, it sets out to lead and coordinate ARS research and information dissemination to define the role of food and its components in optimising health for all Americans; develop tests and processes that keep the food supply safe; reduce and control pathogens and toxins in agricultural products; improve the economic viability and competitiveness of American agriculture by enhancing the quality and utilisation of agricultural products for the benefit of producers and consumers; and provide the scientific information and tools to help support the U.S. food animal industries as they supply the nutritional animal products required by the Nation, continue to compete successfully in worldwide trade, and contribute toward global food security.
In addition, the Plan aims to make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable. To this end, it is planning to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of management practices for agricultural systems and working lands to enhance ecosystem goods and services, including the sustainable production of agricultural commodities; manage soil, water, air, and biological resources for society’s benefits, including reductions in environmental impact, under different climatic and environmental conditions; and optimiwe agricultural products and co-products as renewable, bio-based nutrients, inputs to manufacturing and energy sources. Major priorities for ARS research on interactions among land, water, atmosphere, and diverse biological communities include: remediation and use of degraded water for production of a wide range of crops; protection and enhancement of ecosystem goods and services arising from our natural resources; adaptation of agricultural production systems to climate change and mitigation of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions; development of diverse energy crops and agronomic practices for efficient and sustainable production, optimiwed for different geographic regions and climatic conditions throughout the United States; identification of safe uses of agricultural wastes and byproducts in generating energy and fuel and value-added biochemical products and fertilisers; creation and evaluation of conservation practices and land management decision-support tools arising from ARS long-term agricultural research conducted in the Agency’s unique, critical infrastructure of instrumented watersheds, rangelands, and croplands; development of widely accessible databases to support analyses of agriculture, land management, and the environment; and creation of a broad-based data and information access portal at the National Agricultural Library to enable lifecycle analyses and development and validation of sustainability indices for agricultural production and delivery systems.
To enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems, the Plan seeks to conduct research that addresses the national priorities of genetic resource conservation and improvement, genomics, and information resources and tools; prevention and treatment of plant diseases; identification and management of arthropod and weed pests, including quarantine pests; improved crop management strategies; and the development of methyl bromide alternatives; strengthening national “One Health” surveillance efforts.
In order to increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, the Plan provides that emphasis will be given to genetic improvements of traits related to production efficiencies and germ-plasm conservation; understanding the mechanisms of disease resistance and the development of tools to prevent, control, or eradicate diseases that threaten the U.S. food supply and public health; and identifying and developing sustainable systems for production of high-quality meat, fish, milk, and eggs that also ensure animal health and wellbeing. The program also produces new solutions to many veterinary problems created by arthropod pests and vectors and zoonotic diseases and will be leveraged to solve related problems affecting human health and the well-being of American citizens.
The Plan also provides for antimicrobial resistance aiming to provide insight into the ecology of antibiotic resistant bacteria in livestock, in the environment, on fresh produce, and on meat at processing. This research improves methods for detecting and evaluating mitigation strategies and develops alternatives to antibiotics that affect the entire food chain from farm to plate. ARS will deliver scientific information and novel medical interventions to support responsible antibiotic stewardship.
The Plan aims to eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. To this end, it sets out to lead and coordinate ARS research and information dissemination to define the role of food and its components in optimising health for all Americans; develop tests and processes that keep the food supply safe; reduce and control pathogens and toxins in agricultural products; improve the economic viability and competitiveness of American agriculture by enhancing the quality and utilisation of agricultural products for the benefit of producers and consumers; and provide the scientific information and tools to help support the U.S. food animal industries as they supply the nutritional animal products required by the Nation, continue to compete successfully in worldwide trade, and contribute toward global food security.
In addition, the Plan aims to make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable. To this end, it is planning to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of management practices for agricultural systems and working lands to enhance ecosystem goods and services, including the sustainable production of agricultural commodities; manage soil, water, air, and biological resources for society’s benefits, including reductions in environmental impact, under different climatic and environmental conditions; and optimiwe agricultural products and co-products as renewable, bio-based nutrients, inputs to manufacturing and energy sources. Major priorities for ARS research on interactions among land, water, atmosphere, and diverse biological communities include: remediation and use of degraded water for production of a wide range of crops; protection and enhancement of ecosystem goods and services arising from our natural resources; adaptation of agricultural production systems to climate change and mitigation of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions; development of diverse energy crops and agronomic practices for efficient and sustainable production, optimiwed for different geographic regions and climatic conditions throughout the United States; identification of safe uses of agricultural wastes and byproducts in generating energy and fuel and value-added biochemical products and fertilisers; creation and evaluation of conservation practices and land management decision-support tools arising from ARS long-term agricultural research conducted in the Agency’s unique, critical infrastructure of instrumented watersheds, rangelands, and croplands; development of widely accessible databases to support analyses of agriculture, land management, and the environment; and creation of a broad-based data and information access portal at the National Agricultural Library to enable lifecycle analyses and development and validation of sustainability indices for agricultural production and delivery systems.
To enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems, the Plan seeks to conduct research that addresses the national priorities of genetic resource conservation and improvement, genomics, and information resources and tools; prevention and treatment of plant diseases; identification and management of arthropod and weed pests, including quarantine pests; improved crop management strategies; and the development of methyl bromide alternatives; strengthening national “One Health” surveillance efforts.
In order to increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, the Plan provides that emphasis will be given to genetic improvements of traits related to production efficiencies and germ-plasm conservation; understanding the mechanisms of disease resistance and the development of tools to prevent, control, or eradicate diseases that threaten the U.S. food supply and public health; and identifying and developing sustainable systems for production of high-quality meat, fish, milk, and eggs that also ensure animal health and wellbeing. The program also produces new solutions to many veterinary problems created by arthropod pests and vectors and zoonotic diseases and will be leveraged to solve related problems affecting human health and the well-being of American citizens.
The Plan also provides for antimicrobial resistance aiming to provide insight into the ecology of antibiotic resistant bacteria in livestock, in the environment, on fresh produce, and on meat at processing. This research improves methods for detecting and evaluating mitigation strategies and develops alternatives to antibiotics that affect the entire food chain from farm to plate. ARS will deliver scientific information and novel medical interventions to support responsible antibiotic stewardship.
Attached files
Web site
Entry into force notes
2018-2020
Repealed
No
Publication reference
USDA Agricultural Research Service
Source language
English
Legislation Amendment
No