NC FAR Meeting. Dr. Catherine Woteki. United States Department of Agriculture Chief Scientist Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics

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1 NC FAR Meeting Dr. Catherine Woteki United States Department of Agriculture Chief Scientist Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics Washington, DC January 6, 2016

2 21 st Century Challenges Food Security Food Safety Human Nutrition & Health Building the Bioeconomy Sustainable Agricultural Systems Resilient to Climate Change

3 Agency Description Agency Budget 2014 Enacted 2015 Enacted 2016 Enacted Agricultural Research Service National Institute of Food and Agriculture Economic Research Service USDA s chief scientific, in-house research agency Links Federal and State ag research, Extension and higher education resources Economic and social science information and analyses $1,123M $1,178M $1,356M $1,446M $1,418M $1,474M Inc. AFRI $316M Inc. AFRI $325M Inc. AFRI $350M $78M $85M $85M National Agricultural Statistics Service Provides timely, accurate and useful statistics for U.S. agriculture $161M $172M $168M *Note: FY current-year appropriations values include transfers from USDA s central account for Agency rental and DHS security costs ($1,000) and infrastructure improvement for ARS

4 Decline in REE Funding: Real, inflation-adjusted appropriations $1,600 $1,400 $1,200 $1,449 $1,385 $1,277 $1,259 $1,309 $1,269 $1,304 $1,200 $1,000 $800 $600 $400 $885 $1,027 $1,063 $939 $1,017 $1,054 ARS NIFA ERS NASS $200 $- $156 $148 $149 $166 $146 $154 $149 $80 $77 $72 $66 $71 $76 $76

5 Entering the Final Year of the Obama Administration Completing Our Projects Looking to the Future

6 Anti-microbial Resistance An increasing concern for human and animal health, and therefore for both food security and food safety. Combating Anti-Microbial Resistant Bacteria (CARB) is an administration initiative across government. There are special challenges for agriculture because herd health is critical to our food supply as well as to our human health.

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8 Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators Three Overarching Goals: 1. Reduce honey bee colony losses during winter to no more than 15% within 10 years. 2. Increase the Eastern population of the monarch butterfly to 225 million butterflies by Restore or enhance 7 million acres of land for pollinators over the next 5 years.

9 How USDA Supports National Pollinator Health Strategy Increase and enhance the dedicated CRP pollinator acres Provide emergency assistance for beekeepers to address losses Update conservation practice standards for pollinators Target habitat improvements in priority honey bee summer forage areas Evaluate the efficacy of honey bee programs Leadership in research on pollinator health Support pollinator health activities through education and outreach programs 9

10 Climate Change Global and Regional Seasonal changes in precipitation - drought Increased variation in temperature and precipitation among and within years Changes in weather patterns in season Increase the temperature and precipitation extremes

11 Impacts on Production Expanded ranges and intensity of insects and plant and animal diseases Delayed planting and field operations or change of crops planted due to drought Variable precipitation in the growing season causes the variation in production Extreme temperatures during the growing season affect plant growth and yield and livestock production Temperature variation causes changes in flowering of perennials and risk of frost damage or heat damaged crops

12 Climate Smart Agriculture and Big Data USDA Regional Climate Hubs Crop and livestock genomic databases (GRIN Global, iplant, ianimal) Breed plants and animals to adjust to change Greenhouse Gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network (GRACEnet) Long Term Agro-ecosystem Research (LTAR) Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) 46 countries

13 Agriculture: Sustaining Water for Life Water security directly impacts the economic vitality of agriculture, rural (and urban) communities, and the business sector Watershed health and resilience is tied to climate change, natural resource protection, habitat for wildlife, and most importantly, drinking water for communities across the country Our water resources are also important for recreation, energy, and quality of life

14 USDA: Key Water Functions and Roles Manage National Forests and grasslands major sources of freshwater Conduct research to enhance water resources and develop sciencebased policies Provide and protect wildlife habitats Provide: Tools and technologies to conserve and protect water resources Water-related recreational opportunities Support rural water infrastructure and water market development

15 Scientific Integrity Policy Promote culture of scientific integrity Ensure the quality, accuracy and transparency of scientific and technical information Ensure scientific communication free of political interference Ensure mechanisms are in place to resolve disputes

16 Global Scientific Cooperation G7 Open Data Initiative April 2013 Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) meeting Wageningen, The Netherlands 2015 GODAN Summit September 2016 Meeting of the G20 Agricultural Chief Scientists Hosted by Mexico ( 12), Russia ( 13), Australia ( 14), Turkey ( 15) China ( 16) Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics (Expert Group convened by FAO) Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases US Chair in 2016

17 Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) USDA signed an MOU with ASTC to enhance agricultural science integration into science museums and tech centers. USDA will provide ASTC with resources for programs, exhibits, and other education and outreach activities based on the department's work at its network of Research Centers, Land-Grant Universities, Tribal Colleges, Forest Service, National Arboretum, and other programs. Karen Gibbs is with me today who is helping coordinate the project across USDA. Hoping for your interest in this project as a way to extend our knowledge base.

18 It has been a pleasure to be with you again. Thank you for your support. Questions?