USDA Agricultural Research
Service (ARS)
The Agricultural
Research Service (ARS) is the USDA's
main in-house scientific research agency.
Its job is finding solutions to agricultural
problems that affect Americans every day,
from field to table. These include:
- Protecting crops and livestock from pests
and disease.
- Improving the quality and safety of
agricultural products.
- Determining the best nutrition for people
from infancy to old age.
- Sustaining our soil and other natural
resources.
- Ensuring profitability for farmers and
processors.
- Keeping costs down for consumers.
- Providing research support to other federal
agencies.
Lasting solutions to these problems are
unlikely to have a quick commercial payoff
that might otherwise convince private industry
to do the research. ARS works toward solutions
by pursuing scientific discoveries, but its
task is only complete with the transfer of
discoveries to society as useful technology
and knowledge.
ARS scientists frequently collaborate with
research partners from universities, companies,
other organizations, and other countries.
ARS research is organized into 22 national
programs that bring coordination, communication,
and empowerment to the more than 1,200 research
projects it carries out. The national programs
focus on the relevance, impact, and quality
of ARS research.
NIFA partners with ARS to
bring the latest research on human nutrition
and other topics that relate to child care
and school-age care to local citizens across
America.
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