To: NASULGC Presidents and Chancellors
Cc: Provosts & Research Vice Presidents
From: Peter McPherson
President, NASULGC
Date: May 19, 2008
Re: 2008 Farm Bill
Last week, the Farm Bill was overwhelmingly approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. It is said that the President will veto the bill and that Congressional leadership will work to override the veto.
I focus here on only part of this complicated bill, specifically the issues around the CREATE-21 initiative. CREATE-21 has been a three-year effort by the NASULGC Board on Agriculture Assembly. This group has worked hard and has had the successes that are set forth below.
Important components of the CREATE-21 proposal have been incorporated into this legislation, including:
* Increase the standing and visibility of USDA's extramural science programs by establishing the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), replacing the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES).
* Strengthen the Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, which was accomplished by recognizing the post as the USDA's "chief scientist" with jurisdiction over the Agriculture Research Service (ARS), the Economic Research Service (ERS), and the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The Under Secretary will have an expanded staff to be housed within a new "Research, Extension, and Education Office" (REEO) with six divisions.
* Appoint a distinguished scientist, nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate for a six-year term, as Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The director will manage offices for basic and applied research, extension, and education.
* Charge the REE Under Secretary with preparing an annual "Road Map" to guide USDA science agencies. The Road Map will place emphasis on competitive programs and efforts to strengthen the small 1862, 1890, and 1994 land-grant institutions and the non-land-grant colleges of agriculture.
In addition, more than $1.51 billion in new competitive funding was mandated or authorized in the bill, including:
* Mandatory funding of $501 million for NIFA for specialty crop research, biomass research and development, organic agriculture research and extension, and a beginning farmer/rancher development program over the life of the bill, 2008-2012.
* Authorizations for the National Research Initiative and the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS) are merged to create the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative and the funding level increased by $200 million per year for five years for a total increase of $1 billion. Of this money, 60% is to go for basic research and 40% percent to applied research programs.
Also, authorized funding levels have been significantly increased for research and extension programming at 1890 institutions along with a number of other programs for 1890s and 1994s. Among those is $50 million per year for an Agriculture Bio-energy Feedstock and Energy Efficiency Research and Extension Initiative for which all universities can compete.
Formula funding (maintaining capacity) was maintained at FY 2006 levels. This was important for the land-grant universities.
Conferees did not adopt NASULGC's recommendation to resume mandatory funding for the IFAFS program at $200 million annually.
More specifics can be found in our e-newsletter, A Public Voice.
I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you who worked so hard and so diligently to champion these efforts.
Peter McPherson, President
NASULGC, A Public University Association