Michigan State University has netted more than $2.7 million in grants from the United States Department of Agriculture to help to increase food security and improve food production.
MSU received the lion’s share of the USDA’s $6 million awards, which the university will use to sustain its dedication to these strategic issues, said Fred Poston, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
“The work our researchers and faculty members do every single day helps to increase agricultural productivity as well as the availability and accessibility of safe and nutritious food,” he said. “These grants will further Michigan State University’s ability to increase food security, not only in our state but around the world.”
The grants were awarded through the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative and administered through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. A description of each initiative follows:
- Reducing dairy production losses – Lorraine Sordillo, professor of large animal clinical sciences, will use nearly $1 million to develop best practices to help dairy farmers around the country manage production losses and reduce diseases that affect transition dairy cattle. This is a key period just before and after having a calf when cows’ metabolic needs increase dramatically. How cows cope during this high-energy transition affects their milk production.
- Reducing the impact of bovine leukemia virus – Paul Bartlett, professor of large animal clinical sciences, was awarded nearly $960,000 to address BLV and help reduce the disease’s impact on the U.S. dairy industry.
- Improving swine interaction – Janice Siegford, assistant professor of animal science, will use nearly $750,000 to develop behavioral and genomic tools to help improve swine interaction in group-living settings. Siegford will seek ways to reduce undesirable behaviors, such as fighting, which can affect the performance of swine and lead to injuries, lameness or death.
“As the world population continues to grow, we will need to find ways to double our food production levels to sustain an estimated 9 billion people,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, NIFA director. “As a leader in agriculture production, the United States plays a critical role in feeding the world. This funding is critical to finding new solutions that will enable us to feed, clothe and shelter all people.”
On April 30, the USDA awarded MSU $3.9 million to help Michigan farmers adapt to changing climate, tackle food safety issues, and help small- and medium-sized farms better compete in the marketplace.