As budget development continues, ASPB recently joined with other research institutions, scientific societies, and agricultural stakeholders in a letter to House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Members requesting “no less than $500 million for the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) in Fiscal Year 2026.” As a key grant program of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), AFRI is critical for advancing research and education in food and agriculture.
“AFRI research empowers American farmers and producers with science-based solutions to enhance productivity, lower operational costs, and maintain global competitiveness. Furthermore, AFRI investments foster innovation that strengthens supply chain resilience, improves nutrition security, and supports the agricultural workforce of the future,” the letter states.
The letter goes on to highlight the heath issues associated with poor nutrition and the cost to Medicare and Medicaid in treatment for diet-related diseases, noting that “Slowing or preventing chronic diseases with nutrition and diet-related efforts will provide improved cost-effective outcomes for Americans, as nutrition research is translated into better human health.”
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