WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today praised the Obama Administration for continuing our nation’s commitment to science by appointing Dr. Roger Beachy as our first Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). 

 

“By moving forward with NIFA, our nation is making a critical investment in agricultural research that will help keep America’s farmers competitive in the world market and continue providing consumers with a safe, affordable, and nutritious food supply,” said Bond.

 

Today, President Obama nominated the first director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the newly founded competitive research branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Senators Bond and Harkin (D-IA) sponsored the legislation to create NIFA, a provision included in the 2008 Farm Bill that was signed into law.  NIFA will be similar to the successful research programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF).  The Institute will provide peer reviewed research which will lay the foundation for tremendous advances in the future and keep American agriculture on the cutting edge.

 

Bond commended President Obama for choosing the right man to ensure our nation continues to lead in agriculture science and biotechnology – Dr. Roger Beachy.  Before his nomination, Dr. Roger Beachy has served as the founding president of the not-for-profit Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri.  A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Beachy is internationally known for his groundbreaking research in developing virus-resistant plants through biotechnology. 

 

 “Roger has not only been a leader in plant science research in Missouri, he has used his expertise to revolutionize the battle on hunger throughout the world. I have travelled around the globe with Roger to promote biotechnology and he is widely known as one of the world leaders in plant biotechnology,” said Bond.  “ With Dr. Beachy at the helm, NIFA will help provide solutions to worldwide problems like starvation.”

 

It is critical that our nation invest funds and create policies that reflect the understanding that agricultural science not only impacts agricultural producers, but holds the key to improving human nutrition and health, stressed Bond.  The Senator pointed out that right now, hunger plagues people throughout the world:  15 million children worldwide still die of starvation each year. The research done by biotech innovators is improving the food value and vitamin content of many crops, reducing viral infection in plants, improving soil conditions and reducing pests – all essential in the fight to end the plague of world hunger.  In addition to fighting starvation, agriculture science is helping eradicate worldwide diseases.  Already, hundreds of millions of people worldwide have been helped by biotechnology drugs and vaccines and many more are being tested.

 

The Senator pointed out that biotechnology also offers an environmentally-friendly and domestically-produced solution to meeting this nation’s energy needs.   At a time when Middle East politics continue to be unstable, the United States needs to reduce foreign oil consumption and biotech research will help us grow enough corn and soybeans and other crops to make the ethanol and biodiesel that is needed for fuel.

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