[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]







    A REVIEW OF TITLE VII: USDA IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH PROGRAMS

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

       SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSERVATION, RESEARCH, AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

                                 OF THE

                        COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                               __________

                             MARCH 23, 2023

                               __________

                            Serial No. 118-4


          Printed for the use of the Committee on Agriculture
                         agriculture.house.gov



                             _________
                              
                 U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
                 
52-371 PDF               WASHINGTON : 2023 






























                        COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE

                 GLENN THOMPSON, Pennsylvania, Chairman

FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma             DAVID SCOTT, Georgia, Ranking 
AUSTIN SCOTT, Georgia, Vice          Minority Member
Chairman                             JIM COSTA, California
ERIC A. ``RICK'' CRAWFORD, Arkansas  JAMES P. McGOVERN, Massachusetts
SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee          ALMA S. ADAMS, North Carolina
DOUG LaMALFA, California             ABIGAIL DAVIS SPANBERGER, Virginia
DAVID ROUZER, North Carolina         JAHANA HAYES, Connecticut
TRENT KELLY, Mississippi             SHONTEL M. BROWN, Ohio
DON BACON, Nebraska                  SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas
MIKE BOST, Illinois                  ELISSA SLOTKIN, Michigan
DUSTY JOHNSON, South Dakota          YADIRA CARAVEO, Colorado
JAMES R. BAIRD, Indiana              ANDREA SALINAS, Oregon
TRACEY MANN, Kansas                  MARIE GLUESENKAMP PEREZ, 
RANDY FEENSTRA, Iowa                 Washington
MARY E. MILLER, Illinois             DONALD G. DAVIS, North Carolina, 
BARRY MOORE, Alabama                 Vice Ranking Minority Member
KAT CAMMACK, Florida                 JILL N. TOKUDA, Hawaii
BRAD FINSTAD, Minnesota              NIKKI BUDZINSKI, Illinois
JOHN W. ROSE, Tennessee              ERIC SORENSEN, Illinois
RONNY JACKSON, Texas                 GABE VASQUEZ, New Mexico
MARCUS J. MOLINARO, New York         JASMINE CROCKETT, Texas
MONICA De La CRUZ, Texas             JONATHAN L. JACKSON, Illinois
NICHOLAS A. LANGWORTHY, New York     GREG CASAR, Texas
JOHN S. DUARTE, California           CHELLIE PINGREE, Maine
ZACHARY NUNN, Iowa                   SALUD O. CARBAJAL, California
MARK ALFORD, Missouri                ANGIE CRAIG, Minnesota
DERRICK VAN ORDEN, Wisconsin         DARREN SOTO, Florida
LORI CHAVEZ-DeREMER, Oregon          SANFORD D. BISHOP, Jr., Georgia
MAX L. MILLER, Ohio

                                 ______

                     Parish Braden, Staff Director

                 Anne Simmons, Minority Staff Director

                                 ______

       Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology

                   JAMES R. BAIRD, Indiana, Chairman

FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma             ABIGAIL DAVIS SPANBERGER, 
MIKE BOST, Illinois                  Virginia, Ranking Minority Member
MARY E. MILLER, Illinois             SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas
KAT CAMMACK, Florida                 ELISSA SLOTKIN, Michigan
BRAD FINSTAD, Minnesota              NIKKI BUDZINSKI, Illinois
JOHN S. DUARTE, California           ERIC SORENSEN, Illinois
MARK ALFORD, Missouri                JILL N. TOKUDA, Hawaii
                                     GABE VASQUEZ, New Mexico

                                  (ii)  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                             C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page
Baird, Hon. James R., a Representative in Congress from Indiana, 
  opening statement..............................................     1
    Prepared statement...........................................     3
Miller, Hon. Max L., a Representative in Congress from Ohio, 
  prepared statement.............................................     6
Spanberger, Hon. Abigail Davis, a Representative in Congress from 
  Virginia, opening statement....................................     3
Thompson, Hon. Glenn, a Representative in Congress from 
  Pennsylvania, opening statement................................     5
    Prepared statement...........................................     5

                                Witness

Jacobs-Young, Ph.D., Hon. Chavonda, Under Secretary for Research, 
  Education, and Economics and Chief Scientist, U.S. Department 
  of Agriculture, Washington, D.C................................     7
    Prepared statement...........................................     9
    Supplementary material.......................................    33
    Submitted questions..........................................    33

 
    A REVIEW OF TITLE VII: USDA IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH PROGRAMS

                              ----------                              


                        THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023

                  House of Representatives,
 Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology,
                                  Committee on Agriculture,
                                                   Washington, D.C.
    The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:01 a.m., in 
Room 1300 of the Longworth House Office Building, Hon. James R. 
Baird [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
    Members present: Baird, Miller of Illinois, Finstad, 
Duarte, Alford, Thompson (ex officio), Miller of Ohio, 
Spanberger, Davids of Kansas, Slotkin, Budzinski, Sorensen, and 
Vasquez.
    Staff present: Caleb Crosswhite, Ricki Schroeder, Erin 
Wilson, John Konya, Paul Babbitt, Emily Pliscott, and Dana 
Sandman.

 OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES R. BAIRD, A REPRESENTATIVE IN 
                     CONGRESS FROM INDIANA

    The Chairman. Good morning. If everyone would find a place 
to sit and take your seats, we are going to get started. So 
with that, I will say this, the Committee will come to order.
    Welcome, and thank you for joining today's hearing, and it 
is entitled, A Review of Title VII: USDA Implementation of 
Research Programs. After brief opening remarks, Members will 
receive testimony from our witness today, and then the hearing 
will be open to questions.
    In consultation with the Ranking Member and pursuant to 
Rule XI(e), I want to make the Members of the Subcommittee 
aware that other Members of the full Committee may join us 
today.
    I would like to take this moment to make an opening 
statement if you will.
    Good morning, and welcome to the first hearing of the 
Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology for 
the 118th Congress. I also want to welcome Ranking Member 
Spanberger, and she will be here in a moment, I think. She is 
at another meeting. And I look forward to working with her as 
we reauthorize the farm bill.
    As a United States Representative for Indiana's 4th 
Congressional District, I know how important agriculture is to 
our nation's identity and for our economy. As some of you might 
know, Indiana is home to a varied and immensely productive 
agricultural industry, and it is the eighth-largest 
agricultural exporter in the nation, with over 80 percent of 
our land being used for agricultural production. Indiana is 
also home to many great colleges and universities, and one in 
particular being Purdue University, where agricultural research 
is a high-ranking priority. I also know we have some folks from 
the University of Illinois here today, so welcome.
    So, despite historically strong bipartisan support for the 
topic, today's hearing is the first time since 2019 that the 
Committee has spent some time on research and the 
implementation of Title VII of the 2018 Farm Bill. Since 2019, 
we have witnessed the resiliency of the American producer. They 
have seen record inflation, a global pandemic, geopolitical 
turmoil, and how burdensome over-regulation has tested our 
farmers and ranchers in ways that are unimaginable. Yet, our 
producers responded to ensure our nation and many other nations 
around the world had access to the safest, most affordable 
food, fiber, and energy supply.
    And much of that resiliency is based on the work of the 
Department. Today, we will hear directly from the USDA on 
implementation of key research programs, research program 
efficacy, and opportunities within research to increase 
productivity for future generations of farmers and ranchers. 
While some programs like Agriculture and Food Research 
Initiative and the Specialty Crop Research Initiative have 
proven to be effective, other programs like the Agriculture 
Advanced Research and Development Authority pilot program have 
not been implemented. This specific program, known as AGARDA, 
was created in the 2018 Farm Bill to conduct advanced research 
on long-term and high-risk challenges for agriculture.
    However, USDA just published the Congressionally mandated 
strategic plan just 2 days ago. That is over 3 years after the 
original deadline.
    When the Committee marked up the bipartisan budget views 
and estimates letter a few weeks ago, Chairman Thompson asked 
us to look at the return on investment in each title of the 
farm bill. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, 
public spending on agricultural research has yielded the 
economy $20 for every $1 that we spend.
    Despite the benefits of investing in agriculture research, 
public spending has steadily declined since its peak in 2002. 
When accounting for inflation, the United States now spends 
roughly the same amount on agricultural research that was spent 
in the 1970s. While this is in and of itself concerning, it is 
further compounded by the fact that our competitors including 
China, India and Brazil have rapidly increased spending. In 
fact, China is now the world's top investor in agricultural 
research. As we seek to remain competitive with China, we 
cannot forget about the importance of agricultural research in 
ensuring the United States has the safest, most abundant, most 
affordable food and fiber supply in the world.
    I would like to thank the USDA Under Secretary Chavonda 
Jacobs-Young for taking time to be here with us today. Dr. 
Jacobs-Young has an incredible background, and I am looking 
forward to her testimony.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Baird follows:]

Prepared Statement of Hon. James R. Baird, a Representative in Congress 
                              from Indiana
    Good morning and welcome to the first hearing of the Subcommittee 
on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology in the 118th Congress. I 
also want to welcome Ranking Member Spanberger, and I look forward to 
working with her as we reauthorize the farm bill.
    As the United States Representative for Indiana's 4th Congressional 
District, I know how important agriculture is to our nation's identity 
and for our economy.
    As some of you might know, Indiana is home to a varied and 
immensely productive agricultural industry and is the eighth largest 
agricultural exporter in the nation, with over 80% of its land being 
used for ``agricultural production.''
    Indiana is also home to many great colleges and universities, one 
in particular being Purdue University where agricultural research is a 
high-ranking priority.
    Despite historically strong bipartisan support for the topic, 
today's hearing is the first time since 2019 that the Committee has 
spent some time on research, and the implementation of Title VII of the 
2018 Farm Bill.
    Since 2019, we have witnessed the resiliency of the American 
producer; record inflation, a global pandemic, geopolitical turmoil, 
and how burdensome over-regulation has tested our farmers and ranchers 
in ways unimaginable. Yet, our producers responded to ensure our 
nation, and many others around the world, retained access to the safest 
and most affordable, food, fiber, and energy supply.
    And much of that resiliency is based on the work of the Department. 
Today, we will hear directly from USDA on implementation of key 
research programs, research program efficacy, and opportunities within 
research to increase productivity for future generations of farmers and 
ranchers.
    While some programs--like the Agriculture and Food Research 
Initiative and the Specialty Crop Research Initiative--have proven to 
be effective, other programs--like the Agriculture Advanced Research 
and Development Authority Pilot--have not even been implemented. This 
specific program, known as AGARDA, was created in the 2018 Farm Bill to 
conduct advanced research on long-term and high-risk challenges for 
agriculture; however, USDA just published the Congressionally mandated 
strategic plan 2 days ago--over 3 years after the original deadline.
    When the Committee marked up the bipartisan Budget Views and 
Estimates letter a few weeks ago, Chairman Thompson asked us to look at 
the return on investment in each title of the farm bill. According to 
the USDA Economic Research Service, public spending on agricultural 
research has yielded our economy $20 for every $1 spent.
    Despite the benefits of investing in agriculture research, public 
spending has steadily declined since its peak in 2002. When accounting 
for inflation, the United States now spends roughly the same amount on 
agricultural research that was spent in the 1970s. While this in and of 
itself is concerning, it is further compounded by the fact that our 
competitors--China, India, and Brazil--have rapidly increased spending. 
In fact, China is now the world's top investor in agricultural 
research. As we seek to remain competitive with China, we cannot forget 
about the importance of agricultural research in ensuring the United 
States has the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food and 
fiber supply in the world.
    I would like to thank USDA Under Secretary Chavonda Jacobs-Young 
for taking time to be here with us today. Dr. Jacobs-Young has an 
incredible background, and I am looking forward to her testimony.
    With that, I would like to recognize Ranking Member Spanberger for 
any opening statement she would like to make.

    The Chairman. With that, I now would like to welcome the 
distinguished Ranking Member and gentlewoman from Virginia, Ms. 
Spanberger, for any opening remarks she would like to give.

     OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ABIGAIL DAVIS SPANBERGER, A 
            REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM VIRGINIA

    Ms. Spanberger. Thank you, Chairman Baird. I am so excited 
to be here with you for our first hearing as a Subcommittee of 
the 118th Congress. I appreciated your opening remarks, 
particularly the focus on the research investments that we are 
not making and their impact on American producers and 
agriculture across the country.
    I look forward to working with you on issues that are 
important to growers and producers across the United States, 
especially as they relate to strengthening voluntary 
conservation programs at USDA, investing in our conservation 
and research workforce, and of course, ensuring that the United 
States remains at the forefront of agricultural research and 
technologies. Knowing that as we work towards passing the 2023 
Farm Bill, I am committed to working with you as a partner on 
issues within our Subcommittee's jurisdiction. I am so proud of 
what this Subcommittee accomplished last year, including 
finally getting our Growing Climate Solutions Act (Pub. L. 117-
328) signed into law. And, Chairman Baird, I am thankful for 
your support of that legislation last Congress. And today, I am 
excited to work more closely with you this Congress when it 
comes to bringing farmers to the table on all these issues.
    Today, we are here to review how agricultural research 
programs support our country's producers and our country's 
economy overall. Over the past 30 years, we have seen the 
benefits of agricultural research. A report from the Economic 
Research Service showed that every $1 of public research and 
development funding had a $20 return on investment in the 
American economy between 1990 and 2011. Despite this nearly 
unheard of return on investment, public agricultural research 
funding peaked way back in 2002.
    Over the past 20 years, the funding has declined by a 
staggering 33 percent, and, as a result, we have less capacity 
for research even as the need for innovation is more urgent 
than ever before, both in Virginia and across the country. 
Global temperatures rise, increasingly severe natural disasters 
and the impacts of climate change on America's crop and 
livestock producers should make it clear. We need to invest in 
research, and we need to support American researchers who are 
spurring innovation.
    This critical work is happening at land-grant universities 
and USDA research facilities across America. My home State of 
Virginia has two tremendous land-grant universities, Virginia 
Tech and Virginia State University. These universities 
collaborate with USDA to complete cutting-edge research. And, 
for example, brilliant staff and students at VSU's Agricultural 
Research Center have focused on new ways soil science can 
contribute to the fight against climate change.
    And recently, I had the chance to visit with professors and 
students at Virginia Tech, and their researchers are focused on 
agricultural innovation and ways to address climate change 
through energy and greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable 
transportation, climate justice, and forestry work. This is 
incredible and necessary research of the future.
    I am pleased to work with Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, and 
I am pleased to see the work that she has undertaken. Despite 
the need for more funding than Congress has provided for these 
research initiatives, they have been extraordinary. Throughout 
this hearing, I am eager to hear from her about how Title VII 
has been implemented since 2018 and areas where Congress can 
improve upon the title. I am particularly interested in your 
thoughts on ways that research can further conservation 
efforts, ways that we can shape a better future amid 
devastating impacts of climate change on America's rural 
communities, and how we can best prepare ourselves for the 
challenges that our producers face, be they weather events or 
issues like the avian flu.
    With that, I yield back, Mr. Chairman. Thank you again for 
holding this hearing.
    The Chairman. Thank you for those comments.
    With that, I would like to recognize Chairman Thompson, 
Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, for any opening comments 
he would like to make.

 OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. GLENN THOMPSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN 
                   CONGRESS FROM PENNSYLVANIA

    Mr. Thompson. Well, thank you very much. Good morning, and 
thank you to Chairman Baird and Ranking Member Spanberger for 
hosting this hearing to discuss the research title of the farm 
bill.
    Over the last couple years, I have traveled to nearly 40 
states to hear directly from farmers, ranchers, and foresters, 
and through these travels, I have come to realize that American 
agriculture can be defined in three words: science, technology, 
and innovation. Through advances in science, technology, and 
innovation, American producers have increased outputs nearly 
threefold since the 1940s with little to no change in inputs.
    And we know these advances would not have been made, or 
possible, without the great research, extension, and education 
being done by our land-grant universities. Many of the programs 
that these land-grant universities and even our non-land-grant 
colleges of agriculture rely on to conduct cutting-edge 
research are authorized in the research title.
    As we look to write the 2023 Farm Bill, it is important to 
hear from USDA about the implementation of new and existing 
research programs to learn what is working, what isn't, and 
what needs to be fixed.
    Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, thank you for taking the time 
to be here today, and I am excited to welcome you back to the 
Committee to talk about the importance of agricultural 
research, and I look forward to a productive discussion.
    And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Thompson follows:]

Prepared Statement of Hon. Glenn Thompson, a Representative in Congress 
                           from Pennsylvania
    Good morning and thank you to Chairman Baird and Ranking Member 
Spanberger for hosting this hearing to discuss the research title of 
the farm bill.
    Over the last couple years, I have traveled to nearly 40 states to 
hear directly from farmers, ranchers, and foresters. Through these 
travels, I've come to realize that American agriculture can be defined 
in three words: science, technology, and innovation.
    Through advances in science, technology, and innovation, American 
producers have increased outputs nearly three-fold since the 1940s, 
with little to no change in inputs. And we know these advances would 
not have been possible without the great research, extension, and 
education being done by our land-grant universities.
    Many of the programs that these land-grant universities--and even 
our non-land-grant colleges of agriculture--rely on to conduct cutting 
edge research are authorized in the research title.
    As we look to write the 2023 Farm Bill, it is important to hear 
from USDA about implementation of new and existing research programs to 
learn what's working, what isn't, and what needs to be fixed.
    Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, thank you for taking the time to be 
here today. I am excited to welcome you back to the Committee to talk 
about the importance of agricultural research and I look forward to a 
productive discussion.
    With that, I yield back.

    The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    And I might just say that the chair would request that 
other Members submit their opening statements for the record so 
the witness may begin her testimony and ensure that there is 
ample time for questions.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Miller of Ohio follows:]

Prepared Statement of Hon. Max L. Miller, a Representative in Congress 
                               from Ohio
    Chairman Baird and Ranking Member Spanberger, thank you for holding 
this hearing to review vital research initiatives undertaken to 
strengthen and sustain American agriculture, critical to farm 
production in my Congressional district, and throughout the country.
    These research efforts are the key to providing the tools for 
farmers and livestock producers to remain competitive in the global 
marketplace, create efficiencies in farm production and to meet growing 
food security demands, while bolstering the agriculture economies and 
sustaining vital natural resources.
    Last week, I had the opportunity to view first-hand agricultural 
research initiatives undertaken by Ohio State University, College of 
Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Wooster Campus in my 
Congressional district. I appreciate the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture's (USDA) collaboration with this important land-grant 
institution and other research facilities to enable state-of-the-art 
research endeavors.
    Such crucial partnerships include USDA's Agriculture Research 
Service (ARS) Application Technology Research Unit at Ohio State, which 
utilizes a multi-disciplinary ``digital'' approach in developing 
methods to enhance crop protection while safeguarding environmental 
quality and food safety. One important innovative ARS/Ohio State 
project I was able to witness involves a new intelligent spray 
technology designed to precisely apply agrochemicals to protect crops, 
significantly saving production costs for growers, and offering a 
sustainable and environmentally responsible approach for crop 
protection.
    Additional research undertaken in Plant Pathology Research 
addresses disease resistance through molecular genomics, integrated 
disease management as well as epidemiology and risk prediction serve to 
safeguard crops in my state and across the nation.
    Ohio State-Wooster Campus is also privileged to house one of the 
nation's three Biosafety Level Three (BSL) Agricultural Laboratories 
through the Plant and Animal Agrosecurity Research (PAAR) Facility, 
conducting research regarding animal disease classified at a heightened 
biosafety level, and working with plant diseases that could cause undue 
economic hardship to agriculture if released into the environment.
    Agricultural research programs also provide key information 
directly to agricultural producers. These include scouting techniques 
to identify diseases on crops, such as safeguarding soybean crops from 
diseases such as Leaf Spot through interdiction and detection methods, 
and integrated management practices, as well as sustaining grape 
production from pests such as the Spotted Lanternfly, are a couple of 
key programs making a difference for Ohio and U.S. farmers.
    I would also like to reference the critical efforts of our 1890 
Land-Grant Institutions, including Central State University reaching 
into my district and throughout Ohio. Their vital agricultural research 
and development programs efforts include developing and infusing 
emerging technologies, development of robotic technologies, sustaining 
plant and animal systems, enhancing nutrition, and safeguarding natural 
resources.
    Extension efforts are also [imperative] to empower local 
agricultural and natural resources communities, providing outreach and 
education on research to strengthen the economic viability of 
agriculture production.
    However, capacity resources including adequate laboratory, 
technology and infrastructure issues remain challenging. Funding 
through Smith Lever and Hatch Act is more important than ever before 
for American agriculture to meet growing food security challenges, and 
to remain competitive with our global competitors we must ensure that 
our producers have the tools necessary through these critical research 
endeavors.
    I look forward to working with my colleagues [as] well as with the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture and remain committed to innovative, 
science and technology-based research to enable vibrant sustainable 
food and agricultural systems, strong rural communities, stewardship of 
natural resources, and keeping Ohio and our nation's agricultural 
producers positioned in the global economy.

    The Chairman. Our witness for today's hearing is Dr. 
Chavonda Jacobs-Young, the Under Secretary for Research, 
Education, and Economics at the Department of Agriculture. And, 
I would like to indicate some of her accomplishments. I mean, 
the Department is responsible for ARS, ERS, NASS, and NIFA, and 
the Office of the Chief Scientist, of which she is the Chief 
Scientist. And so her accomplishments are varied, and she has 
had experience in all of these various departments, and so we 
really are proud and pleased to have her here and recognize all 
the accomplishments that she has had in her career.
    So, Dr. Jacobs-Young, thank you for joining us today, and 
we will now proceed to your testimony. You will have 5 minutes. 
The timer in front of you will count down to 0, at which point 
your time has expired. But as the Chairman, I have some 
leniency in that regard. But anyway, you may begin when you are 
ready, and we are very pleased to have you here today.

STATEMENT OF HON. CHAVONDA JACOBS-YOUNG, Ph.D., UNDER SECRETARY 
                 FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND 
ECONOMICS AND CHIEF SCIENTIST, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
                        WASHINGTON, D.C.

    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you so much. Chairman Baird, 
Ranking Member Spanberger, and Members of this Subcommittee, 
thank you for the opportunity to come before you today to 
discuss the state of USDA's Research, Education, and Economics, 
or REE, mission area, which includes the Agricultural Research 
Service, the Economic Research Service, the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service, the National Institute of Food 
and Agriculture, and the Office of the Chief Scientist.
    The success of the REE mission area is rooted in 
partnerships, partnerships with technical assistance providers 
that give producers the tools they need to adapt as they feed 
the world, with institutions to advance agricultural innovation 
and cultivate the next generation of agricultural leaders, and 
with Congress to ensure that decisionmakers have the tools they 
need to support farmers and ranchers across the country.
    Publicly funded agriculture research and development often 
have a less-told story, but we live and reap the benefits of 
these investments every single day. The impacts of USDA-funded 
research, in particular, shape the way we eat, clothe 
ourselves, and adapt to a changing climate. In Indiana, for 
example, NASS collects corn and soybean data while ARS is 
spending upwards of $40 million this year to fund research on 
sustainable biomass production, feedstock conversion 
technologies, and new ways of turning agricultural waste into 
clean energy.
    NIFA, through its Bioproduct Pilot Program, is helping to 
accelerate the development of a more circular economy where 
agricultural resources are harvested, consumed, and regenerated 
sustainably. In states like Virginia, where the Delmarva region 
produces most of the poultry consumed by Americans on the East 
Coast, ARS is spending upwards of $7 million this year to 
combat the threat of avian influenza. ARS is currently 
researching veterinary medical countermeasures, such as 
diagnostics and vaccines for the early detection, prevention, 
and eradication of disease outbreaks. This research helps 
producers make well-informed decisions for their operations.
    American farmers, ranchers, and producers are incredibly 
resilient. Production agriculture requires constant innovation 
and adaptation as farmers and ranchers pursue climate-smart 
solutions to extreme weather, rural businesses require new 
markets to increase profitability, and underserved communities 
seek trusted partners to tackle systemic issues. Access to new 
information and technology undergirds each of these objectives, 
and when appropriately resourced, REE has a proven track record 
in providing timely research, data, training, extension 
service, and economic analysis to support farmers, ranchers, 
and producers across the supply chain.
    The U.S. has a long history of making investments in 
research that pay off for farmers and our economy. Between 1948 
and 2019, total agricultural output in the United States grew 
by 175 percent. This rise cannot be attributed to increases in 
agriculture land or labor, both inputs declined over that 
period, but stem instead from the adoption of a whole suite of 
publicly funded innovations in crop and livestock breeding, 
nutrient use, and pest, farm, and field management. These new 
practices have yielded significant dividends.
    ERS found that public agricultural research and development 
investments from 1900 to 2011 generated on average $20 in 
benefits to the U.S. economy for every $1 of spending. Yet, 
Federal investments in agricultural research have declined by 
\1/3\ in the past 2 decades, falling far behind our 
international partners. Once the world's leader, the United 
States now trails far behind other major nations in public 
agricultural research investments. This decline in investments 
means we are missing critical opportunities to capitalize on 
the powerful potential of our world-class scientists to conduct 
the type of high-risk, high-reward research necessary to meet 
the overlapping and rapidly emerging challenges our farmers 
face. We are missing a chance to help our farmers, especially 
small- and mid-sized producers, be profitable; to help rural 
communities remain vital; and to ensure that our global food 
supply chains are resilient to future shocks.
    That is why I am pleased that President Biden and Secretary 
Vilsack are strongly committed to supporting Federal 
agriculture research, development, and deployment, which would 
define innovation for decades to come. With Congress's support, 
we are making unprecedented investments to train the next 
generation of agricultural professionals and accelerate our 
research to support climate-smart agriculture and forestry to 
advance nutrition security and precision nutrition, build a 
stronger economy, and ensure equitable access to our research 
programs and data. This work is especially critical at a time 
when, despite record farm incomes, over the past 2 years, ERS 
reports that \1/2\ of farm households had negative farm income, 
and most U.S. farm families rely mainly on off-farm income to 
stay afloat.
    Boldly reinvesting in our nation's public agriculture R&D 
portfolio will again enable us to create a new revenue stream 
for producers regardless of size and geography, drive 
innovation and technology transfer to spur a new generation of 
agricultural businesses, and ensure that we have a capable, 
diverse workforce prepared to overcome emerging threats to our 
farm and food system. The power of information and research is 
undeniable, and REE is well-positioned to support farmers, 
ranchers, scientists, and academics alike in tackling some of 
the most pressing issues facing this country.
    And I will yield my comments at that point. Thank you.
    [The prepared statement of Dr. Jacobs-Young follows:]

    Prepared Statement of Hon. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Ph.D., Under 
 Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and Chief Scientist, 
            U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
    Chairman Baird, Ranking Member Spanberger, and Members of this 
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to come before you today to 
discuss the state of the United States Department of Agriculture's 
Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area, which includes 
Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Economic Research Service (ERS), 
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), National Institute of 
Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS). 
The success of the REE mission area is rooted in partnerships--
partnerships with technical assistance providers, including the 
Cooperative Extension System, that give producers the tools they need 
to adapt as they feed the world, with institutions to advance 
agricultural innovation and cultivate the next generation of 
agricultural leaders, and with Congress to ensure that decision-makers 
have the tools they need to support farmers and ranchers across the 
country.
    Publicly funded agricultural research and development often have a 
less-told story, but we live and reap the benefits of these investments 
every single day. The impacts of USDA-funded research in particular 
shape the way we eat, clothe ourselves, and adapt to a changing 
climate. In Indiana, for example, NASS collects corn and soybean data, 
while ARS is spending upwards of $40 million this year to fund research 
on sustainable biomass production, feedstock conversion technologies, 
and new ways of turning agricultural wastes into clean energy. NIFA, 
through its new Bioproduct Pilot Program, is helping to accelerate the 
development of a more circular economy where agricultural resources are 
harvested, consumed, and regenerated sustainably.
    In states like Virginia, where the Delmarva region produces most of 
the poultry consumed by Americans on the East Coast, ARS is spending 
upwards of $7 million this year to combat the threat of Avian 
Influenza. ARS is currently researching veterinary medical 
countermeasures such as diagnostics and vaccines for the early 
detection, prevention, and eradication of disease outbreaks. This 
research helps producers make well-informed decisions for their 
operations.
    Production agriculture requires constant innovation and adaptation 
as farmers and ranchers pursue climate-smart solutions to extreme 
weather, rural businesses seek new markets, and underserved communities 
seek trusted partners to tackle systemic concerns. Access to 
information and new technologies underpins each of these objectives, 
and when appropriately resourced, REE is well-positioned to be a 
partner in providing timely research, data, training, Extension 
services, and economic analysis to support informed decision-making.
    American farmers, ranchers, and producers are incredibly resilient. 
Production agriculture requires constant innovation and adaptation as 
farmers and ranchers pursue climate-smart solutions to extreme weather, 
rural businesses require new markets to increase profitability, and 
underserved communities seek trusted partners to tackle systemic 
issues. Access to new information and technologies undergirds each of 
these objectives, and when appropriately resourced, REE has a proven 
track record in providing timely research, data, training, Extension 
services, and economic analysis to support farmers, ranchers, and 
producers across the supply chain.
    For example, ARS and the U.S. Forest Service through USDA's ten 
domestic Climate Hubs deliver science-based, region-specific 
information and technologies to agricultural and natural resource 
managers. These Hubs link USDA research and program agencies to deliver 
the timely and tailored support agricultural producers and 
professionals need to make climate-informed decisions on the ground. 
This model of providing science-based climate tools and strategies 
through coordinated technical assistance has proven especially 
effective at reaching underserved and vulnerable communities and 
Tribes.
    The U.S. has a long track record of making investments in research 
that pays off for farmers and our economy. Between 1948 and 2019, total 
agricultural output in the United States grew by 175 percent.\1\ This 
rise cannot be attributed to increases in agricultural land or labor--
both inputs declined over the period--but stem instead from the 
adoption of a whole suite of publicly-funded innovations in crop and 
livestock breeding, nutrient use, and pest, farm and field management. 
These new practices have yielded significant dividends; ERS found that 
public agricultural research and development investments from 1900 to 
2011 generated, on average, $20 in benefits to the U.S. economy for 
every $1 of spending.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Editor's note: footnote reference not included in submitted 
statement.
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    Yet, Federal investments in agricultural research have declined by 
\1/3\ in the past 2 decades, falling far behind our international 
partners. Once the world's leader, the United States now trails far 
behind other major nations in public agricultural research investments. 
This declining investment means that we are missing critical 
opportunities to capitalize on the powerful potential of our world-
class scientists to conduct the type of high-risk, high-reward research 
necessary to meet the overlapping and rapidly emerging challenges our 
farmers face. We are missing our chance to help farmers--especially 
small- and mid-sized producers--be profitable, to help rural 
communities remain vital, and to ensure that our global food supply 
chains are resilient to future shocks.
    Alarmingly, another impact of these declining investments is that 
there are not enough college graduates available to meet private- and 
public-sector employer needs across the food, agriculture, renewable 
natural resources and the environment (FARNRE) disciplines. According 
to NIFA-supported research published by Purdue University in the 2022-
2025 Employment Outlook Report Summary,* employer demand for college 
graduates with degrees and expertise in FARNRE will continue to exceed 
the number of available graduates. Of the 59,400 annual job 
opportunities expected within this period, 31% (or 18,400) are 
projected to be for graduates from science and engineering fields.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    * https://www.purdue.edu/usda/employment/wp-content/uploads/2020/
12/USDA-2020-25-Employment-Report-Summary.pdf.
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    This employment gap comes at a time when extreme weather is leading 
to large crop and livestock losses for farmers and ranchers, resulting 
in greater liabilities for producers. Innovative research in climate 
science has never been so critical nor had such a positive impact on 
the U.S. economy.
    That's why I am pleased that President Biden and Secretary Vilsack 
are strongly committed to supporting Federal agricultural research, 
development, and deployment, which will define innovation for decades 
to come. With Congress' support we are making unprecedented investments 
to train the next generation of agricultural professionals and 
accelerating research to support climate-smart agriculture and 
forestry, advance nutrition security and precision nutrition, build a 
stronger bioeconomy, and ensure equitable access to our research, 
programs, and data.
    This work is especially critical at a time when, despite record 
farm incomes over the past 2 years, ERS reports that about \1/2\ of 
farm households had negative farm income and most U.S. farm families 
rely mainly on off-farm income to stay afloat. Boldly reinvesting in 
our nation's public agricultural R&D portfolio will again enable us to 
create new revenue streams for producers regardless of size and 
geography, drive innovation and technology transfer to spur a new 
generation of agricultural businesses, and ensure that we have a 
capable, diverse workforce prepared to overcome emerging threats to our 
food system. The power of information and research is undeniable, and 
REE is well positioned to support farmers, ranchers, scientists, and 
academics alike in tackling some of the most pressing issues facing 
this country; to create a system where all farmers and ranchers, no 
matter what size or what they are producing, can be successful.
Workforce & Partnerships
    The challenges facing agriculture, human and animal health, food 
supply and conservation are immense and growing under the pressures of 
a changing climate and swelling global population. Our farmers are on 
the front lines facing each situation as it arises, while planning for 
the best possible next season, next year, and future generation. The 
average age of American farmers, according to NASS's most recent Census 
of Agriculture, is 58 years old. I know the USDA research, education, 
and extension mission must support those producers' decisions every 
day, meeting them where they are with what they need. At the same time, 
we must also help attract and prepare a robust and diverse agricultural 
workforce to meet the challenges of the next generation.
    First this means ensuring that the REE workforce--USDA's scientific 
enterprise--feels supported and able to carry out their mission. REE 
faced significant staff losses over the past 5 years and rebuilding 
that capacity has been a top priority for the mission area. ERS and 
NIFA have demonstrated outstanding resilience during this time, working 
hard to ensure their ability to deliver on their agency missions did 
not falter. Our continued efforts to support these rebuilt agencies 
will in turn improve our ability to support the nation's farmers, 
producers, and consumers from our research labs to the farm to the 
table. It's never been more critical to restore our employees' voices, 
respond to their needs, cultivate their talents, and champion their 
efforts to advance our research and extension mission.
    The President and Secretary have both been very clear--this new 
workforce must look like America. Investing in inclusion, diversity, 
and inspiring future generations through formal and informal learning 
is critical for the future. As an agricultural scientist myself, I know 
that talent must be inspired, nurtured, and advanced across the country 
if the United States is to maintain its global leadership in science 
and technology. That's why Secretary Vilsack recently announced $250 
million to enable Minority-Serving Institutions to create career 
development opportunities in agriculture for next gen scholars. This 
competitive funding, made possible through funding provided in the 
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Section 1006, as amended by Section 
22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act, is a necessary down payment for 
attracting, inspiring, and retaining diverse and talented students for 
careers in food and agriculture, and careers at USDA. It's also a 
foundation and model on which, in partnership with Congress, we can 
make changes that enable USDA internship, fellowship, and other 
professional development opportunities to become career opportunities 
for next gen scholars and professionals in food and agriculture.
    USDA is especially dedicated to enhancing equity across its 
programs and policies through the development of a more diverse 
workforce that fully reflects the richness and diversity of the 
communities we serve.
    Building a future-proof agricultural workforce requires leveraging 
existing partnerships with institutions to support programs that expand 
skilled agricultural employment opportunities. Last year Secretary 
Vilsack announced resources through American Rescue Plan funding to 
support the expansion of meat and poultry processing options, including 
$40 million for NIFA for workforce development and training to build a 
pipeline of well-trained workers to meet the demand for both current 
processors and increased independent processing capacity. The primary 
investment will be through competitive grants to support workforce 
training at community, junior and technical colleges with programs 
specifically for meat and poultry processing.
    Local and regional food systems will benefit from shortened or 
branched supply chains that impart some redundancy and diversity. And 
the availability of a trained workforce, with the right skills, at the 
right location, and at the right time is critical to ensuring reliable 
food and agricultural supply chains. This is particularly important as 
the agricultural enterprise in the U.S. is redesigned to become 
climate-smart, robust, culturally responsive, equitable, and resilient.
    NIFA's broad array of workforce training programs and strong 
partnerships with educational institutions, including community 
colleges and Land-Grant Universities (LGUs), can provide an effective 
way to implement additional workforce development initiatives.
Research
    To best support producers and communities as they face new and 
evolving challenges, we must ensure that USDA's research arm is 
flexible, nimble, and working on timely and relevant research and data 
collection.
    In response to the immediate need for research, data, and analysis, 
ERS developed the COVID-19 Working Paper Series as a ``rapid response'' 
vehicle for publishing non-academically reviewed research and analyses 
on the impacts of COVID-19 for policymakers, other researchers, and the 
public. ERS researchers are also actively contributing to USDA efforts 
around tracking supply chain challenges and food prices.
    REE agencies conduct essential research on climate mitigation and 
adaptation and translate that research to inform our farmers as they 
work to feed the world. In 2021, NASS and ERS released the first 
results from 2019 Survey of Irrigation Organizations (SIO). ERS's 
analysis of the data in the report Irrigation Organizations: Water 
Storage and Delivery Infrastructure,** suggest that, in many cases, 
water delivery organizations may not be able to supply all water 
demands, even under normal water supply conditions. ERS is also 
evaluating the impacts of climate change on U.S. field crop farm 
productivity using farm level data.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ** https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=102395.
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    NASS collects a broad range of information from U.S. farmers and 
ranchers, and produces data on land use and production practices, 
specifically found in the Census of Agriculture, the Agricultural 
Resource Management Surveys, and geospatial products. While many of 
these statistics can be used in the evaluation of climate adaptation 
science and results, NASS does not yet have any programs directly 
related to climate adaption but looks forward to coordinating with USDA 
agencies to develop new survey tools.
    REE research also plays a critical role in advancing nutrition 
security by defining the role of food and its components in optimizing 
health throughout the lifecycle for all Americans. ARS seeks to more 
precisely understand the nutritional needs of under studied groups and 
is eager to utilize machine learning and AI approaches to better 
predict interactions between food and nutrition-related data and health 
outcomes. NIFA, through critical programs like the Gus Schumacher 
Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), enables income-eligible consumers 
to increase their purchase of fruits and vegetables. REE and the Office 
of the Chief Scientist are also proud to help advance the President's 
goal of cutting the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over 
the next twenty-five years. We are working across government to 
accelerate the preventative science and research necessary to improve 
nutrition in support of better health outcomes for all Americans. 
USDA's enhanced focus on precision nutrition will allow us to better 
understand the specific needs of underserved communities--particularly 
those most impacted by diet-related diseases including cancer. In 
December, USDA launched a new initiative called the Agricultural 
Science Center of Excellence for Nutrition and Diet for Better Health 
or ASCEND for Better Health. ASCEND's mission is two-fold--accelerate 
research on diet-related chronic diseases and translate that research 
into impactful solutions that improve public health.
    We are also working swiftly to provide quality science to help the 
global community understand and respond to high consequence animal and 
zoonotic diseases and other challenges. For example, REE has been a 
leader in making progress on the fight against African Swine Fever 
(ASF), a high-mortality disease impacting global hog populations that 
is considered to be the biggest threat to pork production worldwide, 
including here in the United States. No commercial vaccine for ASF is 
currently available in the United States, but significant progress has 
been made.
    In 2020, ARS scientists published findings about a new ASF vaccine 
candidate, the most promising, safe and efficacious vaccine tested to 
date. Our scientists were invited by the Vietnamese Government to help 
establish a Material Transfer Research Agreement with the Vietnamese 
company NAVETCO to further research and develop the vaccine. ARS 
scientists provided NAVETCO technical support to rapidly advance the 
development of the vaccine.
    The Vietnamese Department of Animal Health is further evaluating 
the vaccine under field conditions in a two-phased approach for 
integrating the use of the vaccine in their national ASF control 
program. ARS is working closely with APHIS to determine the steps 
necessary to develop an ASF vaccine that could provide control and 
management options for the United States.
    This is a perfect example of the impact that collaboration and 
quickly executed research can have on agriculture. Because we maintain 
excellent in-house expertise, we have the power to react quickly and 
partner with producers to carry them into the future of farming.
Conclusion
    In my time leading REE and in my 20 years of Federal service, I 
have had the opportunity to travel across the country and meet with 
many of the people we serve. I have visited states in every region of 
the country--in many of your districts meeting with the people you 
represent. They are optimistic about the future of agriculture, and so 
am I. President Biden, Secretary Vilsack and REE are poised to catalyze 
food systems transformation--we can meet and expand our commitment to 
farmers and ranchers as they work to feed the world, and I look forward 
to working with the Subcommittee and broader Agriculture Committee to 
support this mission.

    The Chairman. Thank you, Madam Under Secretary, for that 
very informative and important testimony.
    Now, we will proceed to Members that will be recognized for 
questions in order of seniority. We will be alternating between 
Majority and Minority Members, and in order of arrival for 
those who joined us after the hearing commenced. You are 
recognized for 5 minutes each in order to allow us to get to as 
many questions as possible. And I recognize myself for 5 
minutes.
    So my first question, Madam Under Secretary, deals with 
African swine fever simply because we have so many pork 
producers in our area and because you mentioned it in your 
written statement. So I want to know if there has been any 
progress by ARS scientists toward the development and testing 
of a vaccine for African swine fever. And is there an estimate 
on when a vaccine might be commercially available in the United 
States, and are there other vaccines that ARS has either helped 
develop or that are in the process of being developed?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you. Thank you for the question and 
the opportunity to share more about our work on African swine 
fever.
    As you know, the African swine fever is a highly contagious 
and deadly viral animal disease affecting domestic and feral 
swine of all ages. ARS, in our Plum Island facility, has been 
hard at work on the African swine fever vaccine for quite some 
time. We have four vaccine candidates that have been licensed 
to 14 companies worldwide. Currently, Russia, Europe, and Asia 
are experiencing outbreaks with African swine fever. Working 
with Vietnam, ARS licensed two of our vaccine candidates, which 
have now been commercially produced and implemented in Vietnam, 
and we are seeing great progress and great efficacy with those 
vaccines. And we are also working with our land-grant 
universities who are working in the area of helping us with the 
important task of surveillance and detection methodologies, and 
so we have made some significant progress on the African swine 
fever vaccine.
    The Chairman. That is really, really good news. And you 
mentioned something that I hadn't thought about. But, feral 
swine is becoming an increasing problem in the United States, 
and so they are also susceptible, but they could be carriers. 
And we don't have African swine fever in this country yet, and 
we hope we never do, but I really appreciate that update on 
what the vaccines are doing.
    My second question deals with biostimulants. In accordance 
with the 2018 Farm Bill, the USDA published a report on plant 
biostimulants, which included potential regulatory options and 
definitions. Madam Under Secretary, as we seek to learn more 
about biostimulants, has the REE mission area dedicated any 
research efforts to understanding these products and the 
impacts they may have on yields and soil health?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Sir, I would say I am not certain about 
the biostimulants. Could you just tell me just a little bit 
more about what you mean by biostimulants?
    The Chairman. Yes. There are ways to stimulate plants, and 
then we are doing the genetic changes in plant and animal. And 
so the biostimulants, in my opinion, can stimulate those plants 
to grow faster or grow in a different way. One example that I 
can think of would be like the sunflower, how they always face 
the sun. And there is an enzyme on the dark side of that plant 
that stimulates it to grow more than less. So I think studying 
those kinds of stimulations in plants and animals are useful to 
improving our yields and productivity. And that to me is what I 
mean by biostimulants.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you so much for that. My apologies. 
Certainly, we have some of the world's best genomic, genetic, 
and germplasm collections in the world. And so part of our 
everyday processes is to continue to look at that germplasm 
collection and find traits and other opportunities to be able 
to manipulate the genome sequence to be able to produce plants 
that are resistant to abiotic and biotic stresses. And so we 
are looking at lots of different types of techniques to be able 
to use the tools in our toolbox to improve productivity and, in 
some cases, nutrition as well.
    The Chairman. So thank you very much. I see that I am about 
out of time, and so now I will turn it over to the Ranking 
Member for her questions.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you.
    Ms. Spanberger. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young, I really again appreciate you being here 
today. And it is my understanding that USDA made your 
implementation plan for the Agriculture Advanced Research and 
Development Authority, AGARDA, public this week, and we thank 
you for that. And we have certainly seen the lack of funding 
for AGARDA, and this is for background for those who may be 
watching at home, a program authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill to 
increase U.S. leadership in agricultural research and 
development. And while we created a program with tremendous 
potential from my perspective, and I am looking for your 
thoughts, Congress has only appropriated a small one-time 
amount that did not even provide enough funding to officially 
even establish AGARDA at USDA.
    In your opening comments, you talked about the research 
that is happening in other countries, the need for American 
competitiveness. Could you just talk a bit more about AGARDA, 
what it could be, what it should be, and what you want Members 
of Congress to know?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you for your question. First, let 
me just say that we are excited about the concept of AGARDA to 
be able to benchmark off of the success of our Federal sister 
agencies, with DARPA, with ARPA-E, with ARPA-H. And what we 
know is that this opportunity to take some risk, having high-
risk projects that potentially could be gamechangers. And to do 
that, we need resources. And so we are excited about the 
potential of the program.
    And as we look across the Federal Government, we recognize 
that resources are going to be needed to be successful. For 
example, we look at some of our sister agencies, they are $2 
billion. Even some of our newer-created AGARDA, DARPA-type 
programs are in the billion-dollar range. And to this date, we 
have received $2 million, $1 million in Fiscal Year 2022 and $1 
million in Fiscal Year 2023.
    Ms. Spanberger. And as you mentioned the other agencies 
where there has been extraordinary development and innovation, 
I mean, leading to major innovations that have changed society 
and our economy and our community and propelled our national 
security, in a kind of blue-sky world, what sort of things do 
you think that a well-funded, mission-oriented AGARDA could 
achieve or could look at or could dream of bringing to bear?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Well, so I think about some of our most 
innovative scientists in ARS and how we have had to sort of 
work around the fringes to find opportunities for them to look 
at new and different ways of conducting research, changing a 
paradigm and some of the belief systems we have about how 
plants or animals fundamentally work. It would give us the 
space to be able to take those risks and still be responsive to 
the stakeholders who depend on us to do a lot of the work that 
we do every day. And so how do we build that into our DNA and 
make sure that our scientists have enough to be successful?
    I used to run competitive programs for the National 
Institute of Food and Agriculture with CSR-EES, and I remember 
having a project and it would be a beautiful project, but if we 
cut the funding in half so we can fund two people because we 
don't have enough for one big award, we have now handicapped 
the ability of that PI to be successful.
    Ms. Spanberger. And these are the types of programs, to the 
Chairman's point, looking at what new developments, what new 
scientific research could really drive agriculture.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Right.
    Ms. Spanberger. And to your point, I think the investments 
and the return on investment that we saw in the last century, 
kind of what is the new frontier, the way that we can lower 
input costs, increase output, and support our producers. Thank 
you very much. And I look forward to speaking about this issue 
a bit more at length. But in the remaining minute, could you 
comment on some of the workforce challenges certainly across 
the agriculture sphere? I hear back home in the district 
challenges related to technical assistance. And I know that you 
all are just as impacted. Could you speak to kind of the skill 
set and the workforce challenges you may or may not be facing?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Yes, absolutely. I will share with you 
that we experienced significant workforce loss when ERS and 
NIFA were moved to Kansas City. We lost about 75 percent of our 
workforce. We have now worked very hard to build both of those 
agencies back up to full manpower, and we are very excited 
about that. However, we do know that in 3 years, \1/3\ of our 
workforce is eligible to retire. Having been head of the 
Agricultural Research Service, that is a large number of 
institutional knowledge walking out of the door potentially. 
And on the farm, our farmers' average age is somewhere between 
58 and 60. So if we don't pay deliberate strategic attention to 
training the next generation of agricultural professionals, I 
think we are going to be in a tight spot.
    Ms. Spanberger. Folks on the farm and folks at USDA, 
folks----
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. And under secretaries and all the people 
who will replace us.
    Ms. Spanberger. Well, thank you for being here. I hope you 
don't plan to retire anytime soon. Thank you for bringing your 
experience to bear. And Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member. And now, I 
recognize our Chairman, who has returned, from Pennsylvania, GT 
Thompson.
    Mr. Thompson. Chairman Baird, thank you so much. Once 
again, thank you to you and the Ranking Member for this hearing 
and I am just thrilled to have our witness once again before 
the Committee. Thank you for your leadership and your service.
    Under Secretary, in your written testimony, you mentioned 
how the REE mission area works with other agencies across the 
USDA like the U.S. Forest Service and the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service. Can you talk more about how you 
coordinate with other USDA mission areas to advance 
agricultural research across the Department, and can you share 
a couple real-world examples of this collaboration?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Yes, absolutely. We just talked a little 
bit about avian influenza and African swine fever. I will tell 
you with emergency preparedness, ARS and APHIS are partners. We 
are building on a long-term cooperation that we have between 
our agencies. When we experience something like avian 
influenza, our scientists are right there with the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service, helping to come in and detect 
and diagnose what exactly we are dealing with. And they are 
using science and data to help drive the mitigation strategy, 
some of our response strategy, some of our biosecurity 
management practices. So we really partner with them on any 
instance that we see of an animal outbreak in the country.
    I think about an example in the grain community. We had an 
issue where some of our producers were not receiving the 
complete value for their grain. Our scientists went in and 
determined what was impacting the price, and it turned out it 
was an issue of elevation. And so our scientists worked with 
NASA using some of their zero-gravity facilities to be able to 
create conversion factors, with that being able to return some 
of those financial and economic advantages back to the 
producers.
    So we are dealing with real-world challenges. Science is 
one of the strategic goals of the Department. It has been 
integrated into everything we do. So REE is very fortunate. We 
get to work across the entire Department.
    Mr. Thompson. Well, thank you for that collaboration, that 
synergy, all grounded in science.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Real grounded.
    Mr. Thompson. You really provide us some well-grounded and, 
quite frankly, workable solutions as a result of that, much 
appreciated.
    You mentioned in your testimony that there are not enough 
college graduates available to meet private- and public-sector 
employer needs within food and agriculture. How can we further 
support the work youth development programs like 4-H and FFA 
are doing to develop the next generation of agriculturalists?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. So let me first say I had my first FFA 
conference last year, and that was quite the experience. I was 
just with the 4-H youth a couple of weeks ago here in 
Washington, D.C. They are an important component of the system 
that we have for the pipeline. And I think it is critically 
important that they see people that look like me, that see 
people that look like everyone in this room today to recognize 
that this is what an agriculturist looks like, and that there 
are many wonderful opportunities.
    I also think that there is an important role for our 
community engagement. We partner with a high school in Chicago, 
Illinois, in the southside of Chicago with our Three Sisters 
program. It is the high school that is a lottery program, 
having kids out of the southside of Chicago studying 
agriculture. They have a farm, they have animals, they have a 
farmers' market, and our scientists are in there working with 
them hand-in-hand. And they did not go to that school because 
they were interested in agriculture. They were chosen by a 
lottery. And our goal is that as many of them as possible who 
are now FFA members and they will one day be in our 
laboratories and in our hallways down the street here on 
Independence Avenue, just really making sure that we make kids 
aware about the interesting things that agriculture holds. It 
is so high-tech.
    Mr. Thompson. Yes, I share your passion for that, and I 
appreciate that. In fact, we worked hard in the 2018 Farm Bill 
to create an agricultural youth coordinator at USDA. However, 
it is my understanding that this position is currently vacant. 
Previously, when the position was filled, how did REE mission 
area work with a coordinator to ensure youth want to pursue 
careers in agriculture?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. That is a great question, Congressman. I 
don't have the answer to that. I think it might have predated 
my time in this role, but we would be wonderfully happy to 
follow up with you on that.
    [The information referred to is located on p. 33.]
    Mr. Thompson. Sounds good. And I am hoping that position, 
once again, is filled. I think that is critical to the future 
of this nation's number one industry, which is agriculture, and 
the future of agriculture, which is, quite frankly, all those 
young folks that are out here.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    And next, we have Ms. Budzinski from Illinois.
    Ms. Budzinski. Thank you. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    It is a privilege to hear from you today, Dr. Jacobs-Young. 
And, Under Secretary, I have a question for you regarding 
artificial intelligence. Advances in artificial intelligence, 
as you know, continue to be increasingly important across many 
industries, including agriculture. I represent the University 
of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, which proudly hosts the 
AIFARMS (Artificial Intelligence for Future Agricultural 
Resilience, Management, and Sustainability), one of the four 
USDA-funded AI institutes. Over the past 2\1/2\ years, AIFARMS 
has already made significant advancements in small robot 
autonomy in computer vision for more labor-efficient livestock 
production and AI algorithms for improved measurements of 
carbon sequestration. AIFARMS, as well as the other AI 
institutes for agriculture, have collectively attracted many 
prominent AI researchers to collaborate on important problems 
in the ag domain. But these collaborations could easily be lost 
without continued investment in research on AI for agriculture. 
Could you share USDA's plans for continuing this important 
investment in promoting advances in ag through AI technology?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Absolutely. So artificial intelligence 
has been integrated into our DNA, not just in our scientific 
space, but also in our administrative space. I don't know how 
many times you have applied for something for the Federal 
Government. We now have AI that can come in and help you put 
the information in once and have it filter out to every 
document. So we have integrated it into our DNA.
    We have established a Center of Excellence around 
artificial intelligence. We recognize that to do that, it is 
going to need a systems approach, and so we are building on the 
work of our colleagues over in the Rural Development area who 
are working so hard to get broadband into some of those rural 
communities where we want to apply this AI. We are working on 
training the next generation of bioinformaticists, AI 
professionals. We are also retraining some of our workforce to 
work in this space. We are looking at ways to be able to help 
the producers be more successful.
    We heard at the Ag Outlook Forum, we had a wonderful panel 
of producers who suffer from labor shortages. And we know that 
innovation is a way to help accomplish some of those needs. It 
starts with our plant breeders who can breed varieties that can 
be mechanically and automatically harvested, and then all of 
our engineers and our AI specialists to be able to develop 
those robotics and other sensors we need.
    Ms. Budzinski. Thank you for that, Doctor. I have a second 
question. I just wanted to take a minute to talk about the 
Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, FFAR. We know 
that FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill as a means of 
leveraging Federal agricultural research dollars by requiring 
the Foundation to obtain matching funds from non-Federal 
entities to invest in priority areas that do not normally 
receive adequate funding from either public or private sources. 
Since, however, it has been unable to obtain self-sustainable 
status. In your opinion, have the Federal funds allocated to 
the Foundation in the past two farm bills been a good 
investment of those resources? And could you speak to the value 
of the research that is being done?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Well, I will share with you that the 
establishment of the Foundation for Food and Ag Research, the 
goal was to be able to help us to build better and stronger 
public-private partnerships, some things that are outside the 
authorities of the Department of Agriculture. So they are 
really established to be our partner.
    I serve as an ex officio member of the board. The 
Agricultural Research Service and NIFA leads also serve as ex 
officio members of the board. And we work very, very hard to 
ensure that we have some coordination around the topics that we 
study. We are working with the Foundation for Food and Ag 
Research at this time around a big AIM (Agriculture Innovation 
Mission) for Climate Summit that we are going to be holding in 
May, using their convening power, any ability to bring the 
right people together and to partner with us. So I will share 
that I have had a very positive experience working with FFAR.
    In terms of sustainability, I believe that those questions 
would be best answered by someone else, maybe Saharah Moon 
Chapotin, who is the Executive Director for FFAR. But I do see 
great value in what they have brought to the table, and I enjoy 
working with them.
    Ms. Budzinski. Wonderful. Thank you. And if I could sneak 
in one more question for you. I wanted to ask you about the 
National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Farm and Ranch 
Stress Assistance Network. Do you feel NIFA's interpretation of 
the term network, to mean regional and not within a state and 
the decision to operate FRSAN as it did was the right approach? 
It is my understanding that, as a result, land-grants in the 
state ended up competing against the Department of Agriculture 
in the same state. Is there a reason why you didn't focus on 
allowing states to build up the networks in their states as 
opposed to now having regional networks that may be duplicating 
efforts and taking resources away from the successful state 
efforts?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. I see that we are short on time. What I 
would promise you is a follow-up conversation. We stand ready 
for TA in any legislative conversations you would like to have, 
and we want to implement the program in the way Congress 
intended. So we want to help our producers. I think we are all 
on the same page, so I look forward to those conversations.
    Ms. Budzinski. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Madam Under Secretary, for helping 
keep us on time, I appreciate that.
    Next, we have another gentlewoman from Illinois, 
Representative Miller.
    Mrs. Miller of Illinois. Thank you.
    Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, thank you for coming this 
morning. According to data collected by USDA's Economic 
Research Service, China's public investment in agricultural 
research and development has been outspending the U.S. by 
roughly 2:1. In your opinion, what has this research funding 
disadvantage meant for U.S. agriculture in recent decades?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. So I would sum it up that we have missed 
opportunities. And when we look at the state of public 
agricultural research in the United States, we recognize that 
there are a couple of needs that we have. We need increased 
public investments. If we are going to push the envelope and do 
some of the innovative things that we talked about, we have to 
have resources to do that. And so are we missing opportunities 
to grow in areas that we have not had enough resources to do 
infrastructure-wise? The need for increased public investments, 
we look at the backlog of deferred maintenance, not just in the 
government, but even at our land-grant universities. Those are 
missed opportunities. And then we talk about the next 
generation of ag professionals. We need funding to train those 
people and be prepared.
    Mrs. Miller of Illinois. Thank you. I have another 
question. I have heard from stakeholder groups about the need 
to provide the National Agricultural Statistics Service with 
better resources to improve alfalfa price estimates. Can you 
describe briefly how NASS currently estimates alfalfa prices, 
and what resources would be necessary for them to improve their 
estimate?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. So, first, I will share about our 
opportunities to modernize the systems that undergird NASS's 
processes. I think that they have the best and most trusted 
data around, and so I really am committed to working with NASS 
to not only have a robust program, but also have modernized IT 
infrastructure under that program. I would suggest that we 
follow up with Administrator Hamer to get more specifics on the 
alfalfa cost estimates segment of their work. We are delivering 
reports every week and really working very hard to be the 
trusted source of data for the American people, and so I would 
look forward to following up with you on that specific survey.
    [The information referred to is located on p. 33.]
    Mrs. Miller of Illinois. Okay. I would appreciate it. Thank 
you.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you.
    Mrs. Miller of Illinois. I yield back.
    The Chairman. Thank you for those questions.
    And now we have another representative from Illinois, Mr. 
Sorensen.
    Mr. Sorensen. Three in a row, Midwest is best.
    Now, Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, thank you for joining us 
today to help us identify how Congress can improve our USDA 
research enterprise.
    The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of 
our nation's premier land-grant universities. The U of I 
extension is purposefully designed to ensure that research-
based knowledge is not confined to the academic space, but also 
it is shared within farmers and local communities. As a 
professional meteorologist, I have looked through and needed 
the data that the U of I extension has provided me in my 
career.
    The problem is the U of I extension provides over $600 
million of value to the State of Illinois each year, but it is 
ten times more than its budget. Yet, the next generation of 
agricultural scholars are still learning in facilities that are 
built in the 1950s. We must improve the Research Facilities Act 
(Pub. L. 88-74) to address our deferred research maintenance 
backlog.
    So my question to you is how do we increase investment to 
modernize research and agriculture infrastructure not only in 
Illinois, but across the nation?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Yes, how do we do that? Having most 
recently been the Administrator for the Agricultural Research 
Service, this has been a broken record around our need to 
modernize our scientific infrastructure. It only takes walking 
around a land-grant university campus and seeing the 
engineering facilities, seeing the medical schools. I mean, 
even some of the chemistry buildings are better. And then there 
is our 1964 building right there. If you have ever been to Penn 
State's campus, it is right across from the Creamery. It is 
hard to hide. So yes, and so students are walking around that 
campus and that is what they see.
    And so how do we attract the best and the brightest 
visually, we are not even competitive with some of the other 
industries that are represented? But more importantly than 
that, we want to attract the best and brightest scientists from 
anywhere to work in agriculture, both within the university 
system and within the Federal Government. And they must be in 
modernized facilities with modernized equipment. Yet, I was 
riding in with the Administrator of ARS this morning, and we 
are up it is almost to $1 billion in deferred maintenance 
across the country, so let alone rebuilding buildings, we 
cannot keep up with deferred maintenance. And that story is the 
same in the land-grant university system.
    And so I look forward to working with Congress to have 
conversations about how we address this need for modernized 
facilities.
    Mr. Sorensen. And just could you give us any examples on 
what Congress' role should be in making sure that this occurs?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Well, I will give you an example for the 
Agriculture Research Service. In 2015, based on a Capital 
Investment Strategy, we received the first $45 million in terms 
of reinvesting in our capital across the country. Since that 
point, we have received $1.3 billion. And I will share with 
you, because of Congress's support, ARS has been able to build 
facilities and to begin facilities, and most of them are on 
land-grant university campuses. So I am very excited that in 
that effort, I was not only able to help ARS, but they help our 
university partners as well.
    At U of I we have the RIPE (Realizing Increased 
Photosynthetic Efficiency) project. I am a little frustrated 
because some of my scientists are walking down the hall and 
joining your team at U of I, but that is how we work. We are 
seamless. You could walk into some universities and you can't 
tell who is an ARS scientist and who is a university scientist. 
That is the strength of the partnership that we share.
    Mr. Sorensen. As a professional meteorologist, I know the 
unpredictable pace of change with our weather and markets. It 
dictates the need for ongoing learning and professional 
development. The reality is that few careers are static. They 
require lifelong learning. How can the USDA ensure that our 
producers of all levels of experience have access and 
continuing access to the education they need to thrive?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Oh, great question. And that is where 
extension, like you said, is so important. And we have a 
growing partnership with technical cooperatives across the 
country. Instead of rebuilding the wheel, we are working with 
community organizations and others that are already out there, 
working with the producers, and working hand-in-hand with them 
to help raise the awareness about programs that they are 
eligible for, talk about things like financial planning, how to 
be more successful in their production, what does science say 
about when to till and not to till? And so we are out there 
every day working across the country, multiplying our efforts 
with those cooperators.
    Mr. Sorensen. Thank you, Madam Under Secretary, for being 
here today. I yield back.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you.
    Now, we go to the middle part of the country, Minnesota. 
Mr. Finstad, do you have questions?
    Mr. Finstad. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the 
opportunity here today, and I thank you for holding this 
important hearing on USDA research programs, especially when we 
approach the reauthorization of the farm bill.
    And to you, Madam Under Secretary, thank you. Thanks for 
your leadership, and thanks for being here today and your 
testimony.
    So I am a proud fourth-generation farmer of southern 
Minnesota and a product of the University of Minnesota, our 
state's land-grant university. Go Gophers. And I understand the 
importance of strong investment in ag research through both the 
Ag Research Service and the National Institute for Food and 
Agriculture. Investments in ag research result in direct value 
for our farmers in rural communities. And as a farmer, I see it 
firsthand. Farm and food security really is our national 
security, and it is so important that we link those areas 
together. And, that is really why we must write and pass a 
strong farm bill to help our farmers to continue to compete on 
a global stage and really feed and fuel the world for years to 
come.
    So on that note, when we talk about our job as farmers and 
as folks involved in agriculture to feed and fuel the world, we 
just have to look at some recent data. Last November, the world 
population reached eight billion. And from the Green 
Revolution, from Norman Borlaug, from all of the advancements 
that we have seen to most recently self-driving tractors, which 
my kids love the idea of. By the way, my father, not so much. 
But on our farm, we have adapted to a lot of those 
technologies, and really our 112 land-grant universities have 
played a critical role in that. And as we look at the future 
and more cutting-edge technology is needed to secure our 
domestic and global food supply throughout America's history, 
we really look to those land-grant universities as partners in 
that.
    But with that being said, all farmers should have the 
freedom to utilize practices that work on their operation. What 
works for me doesn't work in Illinois. What works for me 
doesn't even work in northern Minnesota. And so we can't put 
all our eggs in one basket. So, for instance, America can't 
rely solely on rooftop gardens. We can't rely solely on organic 
agriculture. It needs to be an all-of-the-above strategy. And 
that is really what will allow us to remain the breadbasket for 
the world.
    So, Madam Under Secretary, how can we ensure that 
competitive grants provided by NIFA to land-grant universities, 
land-grant organizations prioritize the needs of on-the-ground 
production agriculture that will really help us spur the next 
Green Revolution, which will enhance productivity and 
profitability while meeting the needs of a growing population?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you. And yes to everything you 
said. And that is why, at USDA, we are really working very hard 
to have local-led, voluntary-based, incentive-based 
opportunities. I think about the way we are distributed across 
the country. We are in every county. We recognize that, no, 
there is not one size that fits all, and so that is why we have 
that decentralized approach.
    We are really working to build a system that has 
opportunities for all so that that fourth generation and the 
fifth generation, the sixth generation really has something to 
come home to, come back to. And so how do we help all farmers 
be more resilient? And the only way we know that is being on 
the ground, talking to the farmers about what is important to 
them.
    We have set up climate hubs across the country. And those 
climate hubs are taking all of the science and peer-reviewed 
journal papers that we produce, and I know ARS does some 300 to 
400 climate science papers a year. I don't expect a producer to 
read those papers, but we have people in the climate hubs who 
are trained to take that information and translate it into 
digestible bites for producers to know exactly what works for 
their farming production based on their variables. That is very 
important.
    We have Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network sites, 18 
across the country, where producers are brought in to practice 
some of those things like crop rotation, like no-till to really 
de-risk some of that because adoption is really where we find 
most of the challenges that we deal with is we have great 
suggestions, great guidance even in the nutrition space, I know 
what I need to do to lose weight, how do we get people to do 
and follow the guidance that we give?
    Mr. Finstad. Yes, thank you for that. And I will just add 
maybe a couple of thoughts here as I close out my time. But, I 
mean, I will tell you as a farmer and someone that works with 
and beside farmers day in, day out, we are the best 
environmentalists that we have in this country. I cannot risk 
my backyard, my fields to the next generation if I am not 
taking care of it and leave it better than I found it. So I 
think that the more we can allow producers opportunities and 
flexibilities, the more we can decentralize programs. The next 
farm bill has to be for farmers, by farmers. It can't be for 
D.C. by D.C. And these programs have to relate to the backyard 
of the people that we are trying to serve. So I appreciate your 
comments and look forward to working with you in the future.
    Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
    The Chairman. Thank you very much for those questions.
    Now, we go to the Southwest part of our country, New 
Mexico, Representative Vasquez.
    Mr. Vasquez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you so 
much, Under Secretary, for being here.
    This hearing is focused on a topic that affects the future 
of farms across the country and one that New Mexico contributes 
to every day. My district is home to my alma mater, New Mexico 
State University, and it is one of the largest land-grants and 
it conducts critical agricultural research across the state and 
is also home to one of the Southwest climate hubs that you just 
spoke about.
    Some programs include optimizing sustainable production on 
arid lands, partnerships that we have with countries overseas 
to aid in that research and production of crops on arid lands, 
and how to re-vegetate lands after devastating wildfires. And 
programs like these are invaluable in the fight against climate 
change nationwide. And we need to support climate-smart 
initiatives and reinvigorate ag practices at research 
institutions like New Mexico State University, now more than 
ever.
    Now recently, I met with researchers from Las Cruces, and I 
heard about the aging infrastructure both at New Mexico State 
facilities, extension facilities, and other research 
facilities. In fact, there is a $100 million deferred 
maintenance backlog at New Mexico State University for this 
very type of research. And some of the facilities that we are 
using that are housing our students and our researchers are 
more than 50 years old.
    So, Under Secretary, how does USDA plan to address the 
infrastructure problems and backlogs to make sure that our 
institutions of higher learning like New Mexico State are 
equipped to find solutions to these modern problems?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. So we have had a number of opportunities 
to work with Congress around this topic. I shared just recently 
that, as ARS Administrator, we developed a Capital Investment 
Strategy for ARS, the Agricultural Research Service. We have 
some 3,100 buildings across the country, a $6 billion portfolio 
of buildings, and the deferred maintenance is up toward $1 
billion. Our university system, our land-grant partners, I know 
that APLU has been leading an effort to really look at the 
infrastructure challenges that the land-grant universities are 
facing.
    A third of the ARS labs are located on land-grant 
university campuses, and that is where we have an opportunity. 
Thus far since 2015, we have received about $1.3 billion to 
invest in buildings and facilities. We have just cut the ribbon 
on our brand new Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory in 
Athens, Georgia. We are going to cut the ribbon on two new 
facilities in May, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, 
and a new facility in Kentucky. So we have some momentum. I am 
a former track athlete. I just feel like somebody is in the 
third and I am still back in the second because we have a long 
way to go to catch up. And so every day we don't invest in the 
deferred maintenance, we have to re-build a building instead of 
modernize or make minor changes, so we have to find an 
opportunity. And I look forward to working with Congress to 
figure out how do we get our arms around this big challenge of 
modernized infrastructure for science?
    Mr. Vasquez. Thank you, Under Secretary. I look forward to 
partnering with you on that because I think it is much needed, 
especially in remote places and rural communities like the ones 
in New Mexico State.
    Now, we also have research and weather stations across the 
state that measure and record statistics important to things 
like wildfire mitigation crucial to our state after one of the 
most destructive wildfire seasons in our history. In fact, New 
Mexico's two largest wildfires happened just last year, 
eliminating and decimating our agricultural industry in many 
parts of our state and my district.
    Researchers have to drive to some of these very remote and 
rural stations just to download the data because these sites 
are not eligible for a majority of broadband grants. So, Under 
Secretary, what is USDA doing to ensure that academic 
facilities like NMSU and other places are eligible for these 
broadband programs to make it easier to collect the data that 
we critically need to help understand the challenges that we 
face in the future?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Well, certainly, I will suggest that you 
may want to have a conversation with my colleagues at the Rural 
Development who are in charge of ReConnect because I am not 
exactly certain about all of the eligibility for that grant. 
However, I will share that when I first became Administrator of 
the Agricultural Research Service in 2014, I had this bright 
idea that I would communicate with people around the country, 
and we talk, and I learned quickly that they couldn't get the 
feed because their broadband and the service was just too weak. 
And so for the first year, I had to back up, instead of doing 
high tech internet infrastructure for high-performance 
computer, we had to do things that put basic administrative 
broadband in so we could just get our jobs done. And in some 
places, we had to put in infrastructure because it just didn't 
exist.
    We have come a long way since 2014, and I think that 
together, working with our mission area partners and working 
with Congress, that we can get our arms around this challenge. 
I mean, we are the most advanced country in the world. We 
should definitely have our arms around this.
    Mr. Vasquez. Thank you, Under Secretary. I appreciate your 
comments today. Thank you for being here.
    Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
    The Chairman. Thank you for those questions.
    And now we go to the middle part of the country into 
Missouri and Representative Alford.
    Mr. Alford. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young, thank you so much for being here. You are 
quite an asset to the Department, and I appreciate your 
testimony today.
    Missouri is the sixth-largest producer of hogs in the 
United States of America. That is a lot of hogs. Porcine 
reproductive and respiratory syndrome, also known as PRRS, can 
really wipe out an entire operation, and so we are ever-mindful 
of that. The University of Missouri has done some great 
research on that. They have been doing some gene editing. They 
have come up with a PRRS-resistant hog actually. You probably 
know about this. Unfortunately, the FDA regulatory approval 
process has kind of stymied this. When are we going to get to 
the point to where the FDA is helping us instead of hindering 
us so we can get PRRS under control and make sure that our hog 
farmers are secure?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Well, first, yes, we are working with the 
University of Missouri on that project, and I am just very 
excited about it. We have one of the most advanced processes in 
terms of data-driven, science-driven processes in the world. I 
noticed by talking to a number of my colleagues, chief 
scientists from the G20 countries, it is going to require a 
systems approach of all of us working together. When we talk 
about the agricultural enterprise that we envision, it is a 
systems approach. I think that my colleagues at FDA will be 
best at answering the question on when, and USDA stands ready 
to have those conversations with whoever would like to have 
them.
    Mr. Alford. I guess, in general, how do we get through the 
process faster so we are not hampering research and development 
and that we are supporting it as a nation?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. So I would share that we haven't stopped 
researching. We don't wait until we have all the perfect, that 
is the beauty of public investments in agriculture research. So 
we have been studying that, and University of Missouri, those 
public scientists have been studying this all along. We are 
doing science. We are pushing the envelope on science because 
that is what we should be doing. We should be thinking about 
the science for 20 years from now, 50 years from now. And then, 
you are right, there is going to be a system that is going to 
be needed to facilitate the implementation of some of those 
discoveries and technologies.
    I mean, I think about a decade ago, we couldn't imagine 
CRISPR/Cas9, which has now been instituted across many 
industries. And so what is the CRISPR/Cas9 for 20 years from 
now? We can't start then. We started yesterday trying to plan 
for that, and then some things have to catch up.
    Mr. Alford. We were visiting with some farmers a couple of 
weeks ago down in the southern part of our district, and they 
are young farmers who want to stay on their family farms. There 
is a bill moving through the State House right now for some 
state tax incentives to do that. I know that in the 2018 Farm 
Bill one of the programs that was reauthorized was the 
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Grant Program. Where 
do we go with that? How do we expand that? And would you be in 
favor of Federal tax incentives to get more young people into 
ag?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Well, I will share with you that we are 
very excited about the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers 
Development Grant Program. It is a program that really puts the 
need for a pipeline for new producers as a high priority. We 
are working with farmers and producers who have less than 10 
years in the business to be able to remove barriers, to be able 
to enter farming. We want to make sure that we are there hand-
in-hand teaching them some of the things that need to happen 
around financial planning and to be economically successful. We 
are working with organizations across the country to make sure 
that this happens.
    One of the things we want to do as well is to emphasize 
equity and really focus in on some of those producers who have 
been underserved and never served and so making sure that they 
can return to the farm and for our veterans. We want to make 
sure that our veterans have an opportunity if he or she comes 
back to the United States or was in the military and retired, 
if they want to begin farming, how do we help them? And then 
AgrAbility where we work with our producers who may have some 
disabilities who want to be on the farm.
    I am more apt and able to talk to you about the things that 
I know that we have the control over and that we can do from a 
USDA perspective than about tax incentives. But I will share 
with you that we are doing all we can to help people stay on 
the farm and, if they are interested in farming, become 
farmers.
    Mr. Alford. Thank you. I appreciate it. I yield back.
    The Chairman. Thank you. And now we are going to stay in 
the middle of the country with Representative Davids from 
Kansas.
    Ms. Davids of Kansas. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank 
you, Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, for joining us here today.
    So I am in the Kansas 3rd District, which is in the Kansas 
City Metro Area. I didn't know we were going to be so 
outnumbered by the Illinois folks, but that is okay.
    So I want to build on some of the things that you have 
already touched on through various questions today, including, 
how Title VII supports the internal and external research 
engines of the USDA and the Federal Government in general, and 
then how our farmers and producers are getting so much of the 
data from that research that USDA agencies, the National 
Institute of Food and Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 
we have been hearing about this during this conversation today. 
And, there are a number of land-grant institutions, either in 
my area or in my district, including a K-State Extension. 
Haskell Indian Nations University is right next door. And I 
know there is just a lot of conversation happening around the 
ways that these institutions help support. And hearing that \1/
3\ of the ARS labs are at land-grant universities is pretty 
enlightening.
    I am curious, as we look at--and I have been having these 
roundtables and listening sessions with folks who are doing 
that work and farmers and producers in my district. The 
deferred maintenance has come up a number of times, and then it 
came up a number of times today. I am curious if you can talk 
about what are some of the maybe provisions or areas that we 
should be looking at to make sure that the things that I am 
hearing about from folks at K-State or Haskell or other land-
grant universities, what they are sharing about the deferred 
maintenance? Like, let's say we get some funding there for that 
to address the billion-dollar backlog. What are some of the 
specific things we should be thinking about as Congress to 
ensure that the prioritization happens in a way that is going 
to be most beneficial for the land-grant universities?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. So I know that that APLU, the Association 
of Public and Land-grant Universities organization, has been 
leading an effort with the land-grant universities. We have had 
several meetings probably in the last, I would say, 7 or 8 
years talking about our shared interests and goals around 
deferred maintenance and investments in new, modernized 
infrastructure. The Federal Government, we cannot commingle 
funds. And so when I build a building and then I put it on a 
campus and the university scientists use our facility at NC 
State, for example, they have just built a brand new plant 
science building with public-private partnerships. And some of 
our scientists work in their facility. We are building a 
facility which is going to be a totally different type of 
facility, much, much smaller, \1/3\ of the size and cost. 
However, their scientists will also, as appropriate, use our 
facility. So we can share. We can have that sort of, I would 
say family relationship where we can share facilities.
    So internally, in the Agricultural Research Service, we 
have created a Capital Investment Strategy. We have looked 
across the country at our facilities, all of our facilities. We 
have determined where we are doing our highest priority 
research in the lowest quality facilities. And so that is how 
we are prioritizing. We will reinvest. At K-State University, 
we will be cutting the ribbon on the National Bio and Agro-
Defense Facility. As you know, it is the first BSL 4 facility 
for agriculture. It is an amazing facility. I was just there I 
think the week before the Super Bowl, a $1.25 billion building. 
The facility itself is $1.25 billion. And so the goals or the 
commitments that we need to make sure that that is successful 
requires resources.
    Ms. Davids of Kansas. Yes.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. And so it is a conversation I think we 
should have more time to go into where the needs are. I know 
that we can point to where the biggest investment needs are and 
then talk about maybe strategies to address them.
    Ms. Davids of Kansas. Yes. And I will look forward to 
following up actually so we can have those conversations.
    And then in the short amount of time I have left, I do want 
to just mention, I am going to talk to the Chairman about the 
youth coordinator position and how we can make sure that that 
gets filled. And then also, I will probably follow up with you 
about the USDA collection of responses from farmers and 
ranchers for the 2022 Agriculture Census because I would love 
to make sure that we are doing everything we can to get the 
best data possible.
    And I will yield back.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Yes, just can I quickly share on the 
Census of Agriculture that we have for the first time gone to 
online, we are doing a parallel online/paper process, and I am 
just so excited that a lot of our responses are coming in 
online. And we just continue to try to modernize NASS's 
infrastructure and the way they do business.
    The Chairman. Thank you for those questions.
    And now we are going to go all the way across the United 
States to California and Representative Duarte from California.
    Mr. Duarte. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate it.
    Thanks for being here, Dr. Jacobs-Young. I appreciate 
having you.
    I am a farmer. I have researchers on staff, and I work with 
a lot of farmers and industry, and I see some trends coming and 
some stuff in the industry I would really like to get your 
input on. One is a lot of our ag startup companies, plant 
sensing, environmental sensing, irrigation management, drones 
are coming out of Israel, and they are tied into the Israeli 
defense complex if there is such a thing. And I am wondering, 
are there greater opportunities for us in the U.S. agricultural 
research to engage our Department of Energy, Department of 
Defense, even Department of Health and Human Services when it 
comes to molecular biology and other tools and make sure that 
we are really extending out what some of the industrial, 
military, energy, and medical research is and what its 
implications are for agriculture? Do you feel we are doing 
enough of that, or is there a way we can help you do more of 
it?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Well, I will share with you that we 
partner with our sister agencies all the time. And some of our 
biggest discoveries in agriculture have been implemented by the 
Department of Defense. We just think about something as simple 
as mosquito repellent, DEET, that was developed by the 
Agricultural Research Service to protect our war-fighters. So 
we are partnering with the Department of Energy around 
producing 36 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel that 
the airlines have committed to by 2030, and they want to be 
able to move in a sustainable direction.
    So we are working very hard with those agencies, and in 
some cases, important for us to work with them, because their 
budgets are much larger than our research budgets, and so there 
are some synergies, and there are also some opportunities to be 
able to help strategize how they invest on some things.
    Mr. Duarte. Sure. Well, I would specifically ask that you 
seek opportunities. My perception is that there is more to get 
and that we haven't gotten all there is to gain there. And I do 
think that if there are opportunities there, I would sure love 
to help facilitate that any way we can, Memorandums of 
Understanding between agencies or, again, anything we need to 
do to facilitate that because I personally have seen some 
technologies come out of the Los Alamos Laboratory on peptide 
research that have huge implications for plant health. And not 
to be specific about that, but there is more to get there. And 
Livermore Laboratory is right next to my district, and I would 
love to see it helping us more.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Yes.
    Mr. Duarte. Another question I have, there are a lot of 
gains being made in big data, environmental sensing, drone 
flyovers, AI models that crunch big data and come up with 
different conclusions that we can apply commercially. And I am 
concerned that we don't understand, and I hope that we do 
understand somehow, how are we taking the AI modeling, the big 
data crunching, and facilitating our land-grant universities to 
have a specific empirical standard and a specific standard that 
allows those new AI methods and big data gathering methods to 
kind of start to replace the statistic variables, the single 
statistic multivariate models that we use to give 95 percent 
confidence, 99 percent confidence? What are those methods, and 
what does it mean to be publishable when we are talking about 
AI models and big data research methods?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. So big data is a big deal. We began 
investing in high-performance computing in ARS 2015, 2014. We 
began just with a small investment because we were kind of 
ahead of the curve. We now have a robust scientific network 
that is separate than administrative networking, but what we 
can do high-performance computing, and store all this data. I 
remember touring with one of your scientists out in California, 
and he was ahead of the curve many, many years ago, and he was 
telling us how much data he was producing a second, and I just 
thought that was crazy. And now I think we have tripled it.
    But where do you store it? How do you share it? How do you 
visualize it? How do you do computations? We have invested in 
scientific networking, and now we are partnering with some 
land-grant universities. We have partnered with Iowa State 
University and we have partnered with Mississippi State 
University.
    Mr. Duarte. Sure. Let me ask you another question. How do 
we make sure that there is a set of data standards and 
empirical standards where we can communicate that to farmers to 
where they know what it means. We know what 99 percent 
confidence means if we have a single-variant trial. How do 
farmers develop the skill set to understand what this 
empiricism that we might derive from big data means in terms of 
their ability to read land-grant university information and 
apply it on their farm with confidence?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. So our goal is to build the tools that 
producers can use that can be on their phone, that can be on 
their laptops, and that hopefully they never have to understand 
all of the equations and the derivatives and everything that 
happens in the background, but that it would be user-friendly. 
I talked about setting up the climate hubs so that our people 
are taking that data and translating it into digestible nuggets 
so that it can be easily applied by producers on their farms.
    And so I really feel that is part of our onus to be able to 
do a lot of that, and we have lots of teams working together on 
what is called FAIR, data that is findable, accessible, 
interchangeable, and reproducible. So there are a number of 
standards that have been created around the data world, and we 
have experts working in that. We have a Center of Excellence on 
Artificial Intelligence. And so I am hoping we will do all of 
that and that all they have to do is pull up their phone, put 
in their variables, and have a decision tool that can tell them 
which direction to go in for their specific issue.
    Mr. Duarte. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you for those questions.
    We have one more individual from Ohio, Representative 
Miller, 5 minutes.
    Mr. Miller of Ohio. Chairman Baird and Ranking Member 
Spanberger, thank you for allowing me to participate in this 
Subcommittee hearing to review vital research initiatives 
undertaken to strengthen and sustain American agriculture 
critical to farm production in my Congressional district and 
those throughout the country.
    Last week, I had the opportunity to view firsthand the 
agricultural research initiatives undertaken by Ohio State 
University College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental 
Sciences on the Wooster Campus in my Congressional district. 
These innovative research programs included deployment of 
state-of-the-art technologies and partnerships with USDA's 
Agricultural Research Service throughout Ohio State's 
University's Application Technology Research Unit, utilizing a 
multidisciplinary digital approach to enhance crop protection 
while safeguarding environmental quality. Additional Federal 
research programs also included plant pathology research, 
molecular genomics, epidemiology, and risk prediction to 
safeguard crops in my state and across the nation, as well as 
the nation's biosafety level 3 agricultural laboratories.
    Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, in your testimony, you 
highlight the fact that production agriculture requires 
constant innovation and adaption, and access to information and 
new technologies underpins each of these objectives. Please let 
us know how USDA's Research, Education, and Economics mission 
area supports advanced agricultural technologies to accelerate 
innovative research tools critical to meet growing agricultural 
challenges.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Yes, that is who we are. That is our 
role. Our role is to be the leading experts in the development 
of technologies and research and discoveries that agriculture 
is going to need to move us into the future.
    We talked a little bit about needing to be able to take 
some more risks and giving some of our scientists space to take 
risks, because with risks sometimes come failure, and so we 
need to have a system that supports that because also with that 
high-risk research, we have an opportunity to be 
transformative. And so what you had an opportunity to see at 
Ohio State is just a taste of what is happening across the 
country, and they can only do that because of the continued 
support from Congress and the investments that you are making 
in both the USDA researchers and the land-grant university 
researchers. And if we can do what we have done with what we 
have had, imagine what we could do if we were on par with our 
colleagues around the world.
    Mr. Miller of Ohio. It is unbelievable. When you look at 
the technology and you go to the campuses and where all this 
technology is being produced, it just makes you so proud that 
we are taking care of the American farmer in this country, but 
I believe that more can be done to go ahead and enhance that to 
make sure it is more efficient across the entire country.
    I just wanted to say, let's see. Under Secretary, please 
let me know how the USDA is collaborating with its interagency 
partners. In addition to serving on the House Committee on 
Agriculture, I am also seated on the Committee of Science, 
Space, and Technology. Recently, the Science Committee held a 
hearing to examine the interagency research partnerships, 
including with the Department of Agriculture. We welcomed 
USDA's witness testimony. However, I understand it was not able 
to be provided. Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, can you talk 
about how USDA works with other Federal agencies that may have 
larger research budgets, such as the Department of Energy, the 
National Science Foundation, and others to ensure that 
investments in agriculture research are broadened and not 
limited to USDA?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Oh, absolutely. And NASA. We work with 
NASA as well. We must. I am a 21 year career Federal employee, 
and so it is just part of what we do, working with our sister 
agencies, in the Department of Energy working in the space of 
bioenergy and biofuels. USDA has a unique role in that the 
feedstock development, the feedstock production, and then there 
is some conversion technologies, and then working with NIH in 
spaces like nutrition and working in spaces where we talk about 
things like bridging that gap between public health and the 
nutrition space, National Science Foundation, well, water-
energy-climate nexus.
    So we have been able to really partner with our Federal 
agencies. As I said before, many of them have larger budgets 
than us. And what is fortunate is that we have some common 
areas of prioritization, and so we are able to partner on 
those. And through the White House Office of Science and 
Technology Policy, many of our interagency groups were brought 
together, and I have chaired a number of those over the years. 
So it is just we wouldn't be successful if we didn't have these 
strong partnerships with our Federal agencies.
    Mr. Miller of Ohio. Good. I love to hear it. And I just 
want to say thank you for your time here this morning.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Ranking Member. I 
yield back.
    The Chairman. Thank you. And that is all the questions I 
have. Ranking Member, do you have any other questions or 
comments?
    Ms. Spanberger. I would just want to say in closing, thank 
you for being here. I think it has been an extraordinary 
conversation. Mr. Chairman, thank you for putting this hearing 
together. I really appreciated a lot of the comments that you 
made in your written testimony and your opening statement that 
I think for any Member on this Committee, with all of our 
geographic diversity, certainly, we see the good work that your 
employees do and your team does on behalf of the producers and 
the agricultural communities that we all represent.
    I think there are many action items for us as we head 
towards the 2023 Farm Bill to make sure that we are leveraging 
the tremendous investment that comes in recognizing the value 
of research. And certainly, I appreciate the Chairman for 
having this be our first Subcommittee hearing. I think that 
speaks a lot to the priorities that you are putting before us, 
and I appreciate that as a Member, but also as a Representative 
to so many agricultural communities. And so thank you for being 
here. Mr. Chairman, thank you for this great conversation. And 
I yield back.
    The Chairman. Well, thank you. And I have a few comments. 
And thank you for your appreciation of the Under Secretary for 
being here. And I want to add mine. I really appreciate your 
comments and your willingness to bring you and your staff to be 
with this Committee. I think I better understand why you have 
all the responsibilities you do. My figures show that you were 
outnumbered 12:1, and you handled it very well, so thank you 
for being here.
    I would just say that this first hearing of the 
Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology in 
the 118th Congress is also taking place during the National Ag 
Week, so I think how fitting that you are here today and that 
this group is here and we are having this Committee hearing.
    So I really appreciate the Ranking Member. I look forward 
to working with you and having this Committee do other things. 
I don't think any of us can--and we have heard that all day 
today--I don't think any of us can forget the importance of 
agricultural research. This $20 to $1 return on investment is 
very telling. And to do that and to feed all the people in the 
world, we are going to have to have that kind of research if we 
are going to keep the most abundant and most affordable food 
and fiber supply. And so continuing American leadership in ag 
research is critical to our national importance.
    And so with that, I thank you for being here. Before we 
adjourn, though, I have to tell you that under the Rules of the 
Committee, the record of today's hearing will remain open for 
10 calendar days, and so you have the opportunity to add 
additional material or supplementary written responses from the 
witness to any question proposed by Member.
    So if I hear no other comments or questions, this meeting 
is adjourned. Thank you.
    [Whereupon, at 11:27 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
    [Material submitted for inclusion in the record follows:]
Supplementary Material Submitted by Hon. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Ph.D., 
   Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and Chief 
               Scientist, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Insert 1
          Mr. Thompson. Yes, I share your passion for that, and I 
        appreciate that. In fact, we worked hard in the 2018 Farm Bill 
        to create an agricultural youth coordinator at USDA. However, 
        it is my understanding that this position is currently vacant. 
        Previously, when the position was filled, how did REE mission 
        area work with a coordinator to ensure youth want to pursue 
        careers in agriculture?
          Dr. Jacobs-Young. That is a great question, Congressman. I 
        don't have the answer to that. I think it might have predated 
        my time in this role, but we would be wonderfully happy to 
        follow up with you on that.

    When the position was filled, USDA Research, Education, and 
Economics Mission Area (REE) participated in activities that the USDA 
Youth Coordinator organized to encourage USDA employment. Examples 
include presenting on REE employment opportunities at the HACU National 
Conference, the MANRRS annual conference, and with the Conference on 
Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL). REE also participated in 
accelerated hiring events that recruited for positions at each of these 
conferences and encouraged a ``quick hiring'' of applicants. 
Additionally, REE engaged with the Coordinator to ensure USDA STEM and 
workforce efforts were represented at the White House National Science 
and Technology Council and in workforce reports.
Insert 2
          Mrs. Miller of Illinois. Thank you. I have another question. 
        I have heard from stakeholder groups about the need to provide 
        the National Agricultural Statistics Service with better 
        resources to improve alfalfa price estimates. Can you describe 
        briefly how NASS currently estimates alfalfa prices, and what 
        resources would be necessary for them to improve their 
        estimate?
          Dr. Jacobs-Young. So, first, I will share about our 
        opportunities to modernize the systems that undergird NASS's 
        processes. I think that they have the best and most trusted 
        data around, and so I really am committed to working with NASS 
        to not only have a robust program, but also have modernized IT 
        infrastructure under that program. I would suggest that we 
        follow up with Administrator Hamer to get more specifics on the 
        alfalfa cost estimates segment of their work. We are delivering 
        reports every week and really working very hard to be the 
        trusted source of data for the American people, and so I would 
        look forward to following up with you on that specific survey.

    USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) collects 
price information for alfalfa each month from a variety of sources, 
including our cattle on feed survey, milk production survey, and hay 
auctions. To meet the needs of our USDA partners, we collect and 
publish data for combined premium and supreme alfalfa in addition to a 
total alfalfa price. These published estimates are based on the data 
collected from the above-mentioned sources and therefore their accuracy 
is directly tied to the accuracy and completeness of these sources.
                                 ______
                                 
                          Submitted Questions
Questions Submitted by Hon. Glenn Thompson, a Representative in 
        Congress from Pennsylvania
Response from Hon. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Ph.D., Under Secretary for 
        Research, Education, and Economics and Chief Scientist, U.S. 
        Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
    Question 1. As you know, the National Agricultural Statistics 
Service conducts a census every 5 years to gather data on agricultural 
production in the United States. Recently, NASS wrapped up data 
collection for the 2022 Census of Agriculture, and it is my 
understanding that results will be released in the Spring or Summer of 
2024. Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, can you explain why there is such a 
long delay between the time the data is collected and when the results 
are released?
    Answer. USDA would like to take this opportunity to thank all the 
farmers and ranchers across the nation who have responded. NASS data 
collection for the 2022 Census of Agriculture is still ongoing. Since 
these data remain the most comprehensive in the industry and paint the 
whole picture of U.S. agriculture down to the county level, the 
response deadline was extended through the spring to ensure the best 
possible representation in the data. Once the data collection is over, 
NASS will spend the subsequent several months reviewing the responses 
for accuracy and finally, summarizing the data for publication. As a 
Federal statistical agency, NASS also takes great care in making sure 
no individual data is disclosed. NASS makes every effort to publish the 
data as quickly as possible but given the size and scope of the Census 
of Agriculture, that process does take time to complete. USDA hopes 
that an increased trend in online response will help reduce processing 
time for future censuses.
Specialty Crop Research Initiative
    Question 2. The 2018 Farm Bill amended the Specialty Crop Research 
Initiative (SCRI) so that technologies improving mechanization and 
automation in specialty crop production are eligible for funding. Under 
Secretary Jacobs-Young, have you seen an increase in projects focused 
on mechanization and automation since this change? Can you discuss some 
of the mechanization and automation projects that have been funded?
    Answer. The Specialty Crop Research Initiative has invested over 
$50.6 million in projects supporting mechanization and automation since 
the 2018 Farm Bill made technologies improving mechanization and 
automation in specialty crop production eligible for funding. This is a 
major increase in investments, as the total support since 2008 for new 
innovations and technology is $95.5 million--meaning over 50% of 
funding for these projects has happened in the last 5 years. For 
example, a project led by Pennsylvania State University, funded in 
2021, is leveraging smart agriculture and harvest automation to address 
the labor shortages on mushroom farms. In 2020, a project led by 
Cornell University was funded that uses machine vision and robotic 
tools to optimize apple tree crop loads. A project led by Virginia 
Polytechnic Institute and State University investigates edamame 
varieties for mechanized production.
National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics 
        Advisory Board
    Question 3. The 2018 Farm Bill amended the composition of the 
National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics 
(NAREEE) Advisory Board, which was created in 1977. The purpose of this 
board is to evaluate and make recommendations to the Secretary of 
Agriculture on Federal agricultural research priorities. Under 
Secretary Jacobs-Young, can you talk about your experience working with 
the NAREEE Advisory Board and if the current composition is adequate to 
provide USDA with both stakeholder input and science-backed 
information?
    Answer. USDA appreciates the selfless, volunteer service of the 
members of the NAREEE Advisory Board (and the Board's three Committees 
and Subcommittees). In total, there are 38 agriculture stakeholders on 
this Federal Advisory Committee that provide recommendations and advice 
on our agriculture science and research priorities.
    Under my leadership as Under Secretary for Research, Education, and 
Economics (REE) and USDA's Chief Scientist, the Board and its 
Committees have provided USDA, REE, and the REE agencies key feedback 
on: increasing diversity and inclusion in REE research efforts; 
evaluation of the agriculture climate mitigation and adaptation 
programs being implemented by REE; Agricultural Research Service's 
National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) Plan, as directed in the 2018 
Farm Bill; numerous genetic resources recommendations for plants, 
animals, microbes, and insects; research priorities for the National 
Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) Emergency Citrus Disease 
Research and Extension (ECDRE), and a program and grant projects' 
evaluation of NIFA's Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI).
    I look forward to continuing robust engagement with the Board, 
especially their ground truthing of the soon-to-be-released USDA 
Science and Research Strategy given the constituents these key external 
stakeholders represent.
Commission for Farm Transitions--Needs for 2050
    Question 4. Although this provision was not included in the 
Research Title, the 2018 Farm Bill established the Commission on Farm 
Transitions--Needs for 2050, to study the issues impacting the next 
generation of farmers and ranchers. To date, this provision has not 
been implemented; however, your written testimony repeatedly mentions 
supporting future generations. Based on your testimony, it seems as if 
this Commission could play an important role in addressing the 
challenges facing beginning farmers and ranchers. Under Secretary 
Jacobs-Young, can you shed light on why this provision has not been 
implemented and do you see a role for the REE Mission Area once the 
Commission has been established?
    Answer. The Research, Education, and Economics Mission Area (REE) 
at USDA could play a vital role by working collaboratively with our 
land-grant university partners, as well as with local customers, 
producers, farmers, and ranchers at the grassroots level; ensuring the 
presence of subject matter experts to respond to and capture comments; 
transitioning those comments into recommendations; and delivering those 
recommendations to the Commission for consideration. In addition, REE 
can provide information on Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network 
(FRSAN) reports, From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next 
Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals (NEXTGEN) 
accomplishments, and information on Extension, capacity, and 
competitive projects that benefit the next generation of farmers and 
ranchers. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Beginning 
Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) is another program to 
improve the successes of beginning farmers and ranchers by providing 
training and technical assistance to enhance their sustainability 
through established farm enterprises. BFRDP does address some of the 
challenges of the next generation of farmers and ranchers by focusing 
on business planning, financial literacy, access to land, estate 
planning (to include, finding adequate acreage with sufficient farm 
infrastructure and housing to support a new operation), access to 
financing/credit, farm production, and marketing skills.
NIFA Funding Lines
    Question 5. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has over 
60 funding lines covering the entirety of the agricultural research, 
education, and extension realm that need appropriations every year. In 
addition to those funding lines, there are many authorized programs 
that have never been funded. Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, does NIFA 
face challenges in administering programs across so many funding lines? 
Are there opportunities to streamline programs that receive fewer 
appropriations under programs with broad authorities like AFRI?
    Answer. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has 
several programs that could be combined to achieve synergies, economy 
of scale, and remove administrative hurdles.
Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network
    Question 6. The purpose of the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance 
Network, as reauthorized in the 2018 Farm Bill, is to establish a 
network that connects individuals involved in agriculture to stress 
assistance programs. Can you discuss how this program has been 
implemented? Do you see a role for the Cooperative Extension Service in 
implementation of this program since Extension has a presence in every 
county across the United States?
    Answer. In FY 2020, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture 
awarded 3 year continuation awards totaling $28.7 million to four 
regional entities to help ensure vulnerable agricultural producers and 
their families have increased options for access to supportive services 
where they live and work. The awards were made to the University of 
Illinois (North Central Region), National Young Farmers Coalition 
(Northeast Region), University of Tennessee (Southern Region), and 
Washington State University (Western Region). The regional lead 
institutions make sub-awards within their regions with the goal of 
providing access to mental health services in all states and U.S. 
Territories. Collaborators may include the following: Indian Tribes, 
state departments of agriculture, state cooperative extension services; 
and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The suite of services offered 
through Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) include: (1) 
farm telephone helplines and websites, (2) training programs and 
workshops, (3) support groups, and (4) outreach services and activities 
(including the dissemination of information and materials).
    The Cooperative Extension Service plays a critical role in 
delivering programs and services in each region. Extension personnel 
are the project directors for three of the four regional lead 
institutions. Additionally, Cooperative Extension has been the 
recipient of multiple sub-awards in each region.
    In October 2021, USDA NIFA announced an investment of nearly $25 
million for 50 grants supporting FRSAN State Department of Agriculture 
(SDA) projects. This funding was made available by the Coronavirus 
Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, (FY) 2021, which 
was contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, (FY) 2021. Funded 
projects must have initiated, expanded, or sustained programs that 
provide professional agricultural behavioral health counseling and 
referral for other forms of assistance as necessary through farm 
telephone helplines and websites; training programs and workshops; 
support groups; and outreach services and activities.
Research Facilities
    Question 7. The FY 2023 Omnibus provided USDA with the first $2 
million for the competitive grant program established in the 2018 Farm 
Bill under the Research Facilities Act. Can you discuss how USDA will 
implement this program?
    Answer. USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has 
been expeditiously developing the Research Facilities Act Program 
(RFAP) for competition. A public listening session was held on April 
13, 2023, to obtain public input for the development of the RFA for 
this program. A draft report on the listening session has been 
prepared. In addition, a draft RFA is currently under review and is 
expected to be published for proposal submission once all approvals are 
received. As part of the RFA, NIFA will prioritize projects proposing 
building, modification, acquisition, modernization, refurbishment, or 
remodeling of agricultural research facilities that are located at or 
primarily benefit minority-serving institutions (MSI) when making the 
award, as per appropriations language accompanying the funding. In 
addition, the program will have three funding levels ranging from 
$75,000 to $500,000.
Plan of Work & Time and Effort Reporting
    Question 8. The 2018 Farm Bill streamlined the plan of work and 
time and effort reporting processes for land-grant formula funds to 
ensure that university research and extension personnel can spend their 
time on actual projects rather than on completing unnecessary federally 
mandated reports. Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, did these provisions 
adequately remove some of the burdens our land-grant university 
personnel were facing or is further work needed to streamline these 
requirements?
    Answer. USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has 
developed time and effort reporting guidance and resources to assist 
stakeholders and allow them to follow internal policies and controls 
for supporting personnel expenditures. The Plan of Work module in the 
NIFA Reporting System (NRS) was completed in December 2022. NRS users 
can now submit their Plan of Work in a streamlined system and provide 
information on planned research, education and extension activities 
which address critical state agricultural issues. NIFA offers users 
regular support on use of the system through monthly informational 
webinars, resources posted to our external web pages and a dedicated 
help desk email. The Plan of Work sets the stage for all other 
reporting requirements for capacity funding, carrying over data from 
each submission to make reporting more efficient and less burdensome.
Competitive Grants versus Capacity Funding
    Question 9. There is a longstanding debate on the proper ratio for 
competitive grants versus capacity funding to support agricultural 
research, education, and extension at our land-grant universities. 
Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, do you believe the current makeup of 
competitive grants and capacity funding is sufficient? Should one be 
increased relative to the other?
    Answer. Land-grant universities are key partners at USDA, and our 
research, education, and Extension programs provide crucial support for 
their work. For an unbiased assessment of this landscape, an 
independent study could analyze the current ratio of competitive grants 
and capacity funding that supports agricultural research, education, 
and extension at our land-grant universities.
Nutrition Education
    Question 10. While not authorized in the research title, two 
nutrition-related programs, SNAP-Ed and the Expanded Food and Nutrition 
Education Program, rely heavily on Cooperative Extension Service to 
implement the program. Under Secretary Jacobs-Young, can you walk 
through the benefits and outline the challenges, if any, of using 
Extension in delivering nutrition education to low-income populations?
    Answer. Since its early days, the Cooperative Extension System 
(CES) has played an important role in improving the health of the 
nation. CES is well-suited for community-based nutrition education 
programs for low-income populations, for multiple reasons. CES has an 
extensive network, reaching most of the more than 3,000 U.S. counties, 
Territories, and the District of Columbia and having natural 
connections for information sharing and consistency in programming. CES 
is deeply nested within communities through long-standing and 
continually evolving relationships with community and state partners 
conducive to achieving individual, policy, systems, and environmental 
change. Specific to the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program 
(EFNEP) and SNAP-Ed, Cooperative Extension employs people from the same 
neighborhoods and with similar experiences as those they serve and 
thus, engenders trust among marginalized and historically underserved 
populations. University Extension staff work closely with local staff 
to ensure that subject matter content and methods of learning are 
current, relevant, practical, and appropriately tailored to the 
audience served. This tailored focus on content and delivery methods 
facilitates improved nutritional health and well-being of low-income 
populations served. Finally, through CES, local voices inform practical 
and applied research priorities among universities within and across 
states, and even nationally.
    Regarding challenges, the number of communities that Cooperative 
Extension can serve is limited by the number of faculty and staff that 
it can deploy in those local offices based on the amount of current 
available resources. While the footprint of CES in local community 
offices has decreased in recent decades, universities and local offices 
are utilizing technology and working collaboratively within local 
Extension offices to help overcome this obstacle. Second, CES wages for 
community nutrition educators have not kept pace with other local job 
options, which can make hiring and retaining staff difficult. NIFA is 
partnering with FNS to cultivate comprehensive and sustained solutions 
for EFNEP workforce development. Notably, wage challenges are not 
limited to Cooperative Extension. Other community-based, public health 
programs are experiencing similar employment challenges.

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