The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Coalition, which includes AAU, sent a letter to the leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees requesting the full authorization amount of $700 million for AFRI in FY23; Congress provided $445 million for AFRI in FY22.
The letter notes that the full funding level for AFRI, which is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “largest competitive extramural research grant program,” is needed to address “our nation’s most urgent and pressing food, agriculture, and public health challenges.” “AFRI-funded research supports COVID-19 recovery, climate change adaptation and mitigation, equity across the food system, food safety and traceability, supply chain resiliency, bioenergy, nutrition and wellness, agricultural technology, rural economic prosperity, and a diverse research workforce,” the letter continues.