A Message from the Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
October 28, 2019
As the recently sworn-in director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), I am pleased to present NIFA’s 2018 Annual Report. Through an integrated approach, NIFA ensures that groundbreaking discoveries in agriculture-related sciences and technologies reach our nation’s farmers, ranchers, foresters, producers, and consumers.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s vision is for USDA to be the most efficient, most effective, and most customer-focused department in the federal government. We will achieve this, in part, through USDA’s Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2018-2022. NIFA’s leadership and investments will contribute to USDA’s seven strategic goals to ensure agricultural and rural prosperity.
This NIFA 2018 Annual Report includes powerful examples of the many NIFA-funded research, extension, and education solutions that address societal challenges. NIFA invests Congressionally-appropriated funds to solve these challenges through collaboration with our broad range of grantees and partners, including academic and science organizations; small business and industry; agencies from all levels of government; and non-governmental, public, and private organizations. NIFA’s academic partners include land-grant and non-land-grant universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, minority-serving institutions, Alaska Native-serving and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and institutions in insular areas. NIFA’s continued strong collaboration with our grantees and partners helps American agriculture become more efficient and competitive, sustains natural resources and the environment, enhances the safety of our nation’s food supply, and improves nutrition.
One of our greatest challenges is educating the future labor force, skilled workers, and scientists to support sustainable growth in agricultural production. NIFA’s educational programs nurture the next generation of farmers, ranchers, producers, scientists, and other professionals needed in agriculture, food, the environment, and natural resources.
I am honored to lead NIFA, our committed and talented professionals, and our role in supporting America’s 21st century research, extension, and education. I look forward to the transformative and remarkable discoveries that our grantees will make, with NIFA support, in the coming year to solve our most pressing societal challenges.
J. Scott Angle
