For the USDA and American agriculture, this is a crucial time.
The “USDA Science and Research Strategy, 2023-2026: Cultivating Scientific Innovation (PDF, 21.3 MB)” was introduced last week by myself and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
The plan articulates a three-year goal for advancing research and innovation in U.S. agriculture.
The message is quite clear: we need to improve the productivity, profitability, resiliency, and sustainability of our agriculture and forestry systems. These systems must function for everyone who requires them, not just a select few.
Our solution to the problem of how to enhance agricultural output while also addressing the most pressing global issues is the Science and Research Strategy.
The main scientific priorities for the USDA have been recognized in this Strategy. These goals are in line with USDA’s Strategic Plan for FY 2022-2026 (PDF, 9.6 MB), which incorporates feedback from our partners and stakeholders.
The five scientific goals of the USDA are:
- Accelerating Innovative Technologies & Practices
- Driving Climate-Smart Solutions
- Bolstering Nutrition Security & Health
- Cultivating Resilient Ecosystems
- Translating Research into Action
The professional input from scientific experts inside USDA and external stakeholders from across our diversified agriculture industry is reflected in our crosscutting priorities. These new objectives reflect the complexity of the challenges we confront and will direct how USDA seeks to address this situation via partnerships, science, data, and innovation.
Our dedication to equity is woven throughout this Strategy and is at the core of each focus. We will have a genuine and significant influence on the people we serve by encouraging a more fair and equitable science industry.
Our science and research strategy is to promote cooperation and innovation across all industries. This is a call to action for our partners and stakeholders around the country to suggest audacious, daring activities to promote the goals we’ve established.
Join the discussion! Your opinions are crucial as we implement this Strategy over the next three years. I want everyone to read through this strategy and explain how their work now aligns with or may align with these priorities.
We can create ground-breaking ideas to alter our country’s food and agricultural systems so that the most people can benefit from them through open research, transparency, and cooperation.
Together, let’s push the limits of agriculture and forestry to make the world a better place, in accordance with the USDA’s Science & Research Strategy.
