With a new Senate majority, a new incoming Administration, and new leadership of the Senate Agriculture Committee coming in the next Congress, changes are afoot in Washington, DC, with unknown consequences on the much-anticipated farm bill. These changes present continued opportunity for ASPB to advocate for funding for programs that benefit and support stakeholders in the plant science community.
ASPB and 52 other academic, scientific, professional, and industry organizations recently co-signed a letter sent to members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees calling for funding in a new farm bill or farm bill extension for orphan programs that, without action, could lose their funding. These programs fund “niche or emerging areas within agriculture which may not receive the same level of attention or resources as other larger programs,” the letter states. “Without guaranteed funding, the progress made in these areas is expected to stall, potentially setting back years of advancement in agricultural research, rural support, and conservation efforts.”
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