The affected labs, funded through the Feed the Future Innovation Labs program under the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), conducted agricultural research in collaboration with countries such as Malawi, Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Rwanda.
Impact on U.S. Farmers
Experts warn that the shutdown of these research programs will not only affect developing countries but also American farmers. Many of the labs focused on developing innovative farming techniques, pest control methods, and disease prevention strategies that could be applied in the U.S.
“This significantly reduces our ability to help farmers combat pests and diseases, and to prevent outbreaks from reaching American crops,” said David Hughes, director of the USAID Innovation Lab on Current and Emerging Threats to Crops at Penn State University.
One of the halted projects aimed to control a viral disease threatening banana crops in Tanzania, spread by aphids.
Mass Layoffs and Uncertain Future
On January 31, all 17 labs received stop-work orders after Trump froze most foreign aid programs. Since then, lab directors have not received further guidance from the State Department, which oversees USAID.
“We represented America’s best face to the world, and our work was highly valued internationally,” said David Tschirley, head of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab Council and a researcher at Michigan State University.
Some universities are attempting to cover research costs temporarily, but with limited success. Michigan State has allowed Tschirley’s lab to continue operations for now, hoping for funding restoration.
However, other labs have been forced to shut down. Peter Goldsmith, director of the Soybean Innovation Lab at the University of Illinois, had to lay off all 30 staff members and plans to close the facility on April 15.
His lab provided technical support to farmers growing soybeans in Africa and assisted agribusiness companies in establishing processing plants. Among its corporate partners were Bayer, Corteva, BASF, and Archer-Daniels-Midland.
Broader Risks for the Agricultural Sector
The USAID funding cuts are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to restructure the federal government, which has already impacted the U.S. farming industry.
On January 24, Trump issued an order freezing most foreign aid programs, temporarily halting millions of dollars in agricultural commodity purchases for humanitarian efforts.
Additionally, many farmers report delays in federal farm loan and grant payments due to the suspension of government funding, though this directive has been challenged in court.
The White House has yet to comment on the future of the Feed the Future Innovation Labs. However, experts warn that shutting down these research facilities could weaken the global competitiveness of U.S. agriculture and pose risks to national food security.
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