Science Policy Report

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07 December 2011

In This Issue:

International Corner

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

Conferences, Meetings and Reports

Congressional/Administration News

International Corner

France's top administrative court, the State Council, has overturned a government order banning French farmers from planting genetically modified (GM) MON 810 maize. MON 810 is approved at the EU level for EU-wide commercial cultivation. But France's agriculture ministry imposed a ban in February 2008 amid concerns over public safety. The State Council, in its ruling, said the government failed to prove that the GM corn plants "present a particularly elevated level of risk to either human health or the environment." In September, the European Court of Justice, the EU’s top court, ordered France to review its ban. Since then, the State Council ruled, the French government has failed to present new evidence of the supposed dangers posed by the plants. France’s Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire, in a first reaction, said the government will "examine all options in order not to grow Monsanto 810 maize." There were "still too many uncertainties about the consequences for the environment," Le Maire said.  

On 18 Nov, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a joint effort to improve the quality of Africa’s depleted soils.The Buffett Foundation will contribute $2 million to expand the work of N2Africa, an initiative of Wageningen University in The Netherlands supported by the Gates Foundation since 2009. The N2Africa initiative currently aims to increase productivity of legumes and improve family nutrition, soil health, and farm income by maximizing biological nitrogen fixation with soybeans, groundnuts, common beans, and cowpeas in eight countries: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. The funding from the Buffett Foundation will ensure that N2Africa’s scientific approach takes root in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Read full details here

On 21 Nov, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) announced that, due to food price volatility, one of the most critical economic and food security challenges facing policymakers today, it is partnering with the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) to organize a Brussels Development Briefing on food price volatility that will take place on November 30 in Brussels, Belgium. Spikes in food prices can have a significant impact on incomes, markets, and nutrition worldwide and, in extreme cases, can cause widespread violence and social unrest. Understanding the causes behind price volatility and exploring policy responses to it can help stabilize domestic and global food markets and protect poor people around the world, who spend 50-60% of their income on food. Participants can access event materials and provide their own input before, during, and after this exciting event through the Briefings blog here

On 29 Nov, the four largest nonprofit plant science research institutions in the U.S. announced that they have joined forces to form the Association of Independent Plant Research Institutes (AIPI) in an effort to target plant science research to meet the profound challenges facing society in a more coordinated and rapid fashion. Scientific leaders from the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (Cornell University), The Carnegie Institution for Science, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (St. Louis, Mo.) and The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation (Ardmore, Okla.) formed the AIPI to facilitate scientific discovery through intellectual and technical collaborations. The group will also disseminate research outcomes and provide a forum for discussion of approaches to the challenges facing agriculture. Collectively, AIPI member institutions operate nearly 60 laboratories with more than 400 personnel. Each organization offers different but complementary technical expertise that ranges from measuring individual chemicals and proteins within plants to the ability to obtain three-dimensional images of plant structures and proteins in living tissue. In addition, state-of-the-art greenhouse and field resources allow science to mature beyond the laboratory and into tangible outcomes to benefit consumers and provide for tomorrow.

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2012-2013 California Science and Technology Policy Fellowships based in Sacramento. The S&T Policy Fellowship, a unique one-year professional development opportunity, provides the selected fellows with hands-on experience working with the California Legislature to incorporate science and technology into public policy.  Eligible applicants will be Ph.D.-level (or equivalent) scientists and engineers who have a sincere interest in California current events, the state legislative process, and a strong desire to learn how policy decisions are made. Deadline 29 Feb. Read full announcement here

IIASA's annual Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP), now in its 35th year, is a three-month research program for advanced students who are ideally approximately two years away from receiving a PhD or equivalent, and whose interests correspond with IIASA's ongoing research.  The 2012 program starts on June 1, 2012, and ends on August 31, 2012. In order to be considered, applicants must commit to staying for the entire program. The application period for the 2012 YSSP runs through 16 Jan. During this time you can create a new application, edit an existing application, and submit a completed application to the program. Read full announcement here

2012 NCR-SARE Graduate Student Grants available online. Read full announcement here. Graduate students enrolled at colleges or universities in the North Central Region can submit proposals for up to $10,000 to fund sustainable agriculture projects that will be part of their educational programs. NCR-SARE expects to fund about 15 projects in the twelve-state North Central Region. Funded proposals have contributed to farmer or rancher profitability, environmental quality, and the enhancement of the quality of life of farmers or ranchers, rural communities, and society as a whole. NCR-SARE strongly encourages students to involve farmers and ranchers in their Graduate Student Grant projects. Potential applicants can contact Beth Nelson at [email protected] or 612-626-4436. Proposals are due in the NCR-SARE office in St Paul, MN by 26 Jan.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants for projects that will contribute to improved water quality in urban areas. The goal of the Urban Waters Small Grants is to fund research, studies, training, and demonstration projects that will advance the restoration of urban waters by improving water quality through activities that also support community revitalization and other local priorities. In general, projects should promote a comprehensive understanding of local water quality issues; identify and support activities that address these issues at the local level; engage, educate and empower communities surrounding the urban water body; and benefit surrounding communities including those that have been adversely impacted by the water pollution issues affecting the urban water body. Deadline 23 Jan. Read full announcement here

The Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) program develops long-term partnerships among industry, academe, and government. The centers are catalyzed by a small investment from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and are primarily supported by industry center members, with NSF taking a supporting role in the development and evolution of the center. Each center is established to conduct research that is of interest to both the industry members and the center faculty. An I/UCRC contributes to the Nation's research infrastructure base and enhances the intellectual capacity of the engineering and science workforce through the integration of research and education. As appropriate, an I/UCRC uses international collaborations to advance these goals within the global context. Deadline 6 Mar. Read full announcement here

MCC has a requirement for the services of an institution to set up and run a Science and Technology Fellowship Programthat will select and identify high quality candidate(s) with science, technology, and/or engineering background capable of supporting MCC's core mission. Deadline 22 Dec. Read full announcement here

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications proposing trans-disciplinary, integrated research that will advance scientific and practical understandings of how to promote and sustain effective, community-based stormwater management for reducing water-borne pollution entering Chesapeake Bay. EPA is specifically interested in funding research projects that engage lay persons and scientific experts in the co-development, trial, and objective assessment of innovative, locally tailored solutions to shared stormwater problems. Deadline 11 Jan. Read full announcement here

USAID intends to award approximately 3-5 grants providing funding for 1 to 3 years under this APS. Total funding expected to be available is approximately $3 to 4 million dollars per year. USAID/Peru seeks to achieve the following development objectives: (1) a sustainable economic and social model is adopted by communities in targeted areas vulnerable to coca cultivation, and (2) natural resources are sustainably managed in targeted areas. Through the LPP, we envision multiple sub-programs or awards in the following area: Alternative Development, Natural Resource Management, and Basic Education as it relates to intercultural bilingual education. Deadline 29 May. Read full announcement here

Conferences, Meetings and Reports

 The Center for a Livable Future at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has launched the Farm Bill Budget Visualizer, an innovative web-based application that allows visual analysis of Farm Bill spending since the 2008 Farm Bill. The Budget Visualizer uses “treemap” technology, a method of displaying spending data as nested rectangles, which allows users to “see” the proportion of federal funding received by Farm Bill programs. The application, developed in partnership with the Hive Group, is intended as an educational aid for the general public, advocacy groups, and policymakers who wish to better understand the relationships among public health and other priorities, and federal spending in the Farm Bill. With the application, users may filter by and view specific expenditure categories such as public health, fruit and vegetable access, sustainable agriculture, commodity grain production, or industrial food animal production. Users may also view data regarding actual and estimated spending in the years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The Visualizer and accompanying materials are available at Farm Bill Budget Visualizer. 

The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) has released its latest agricultural statistical indicators which cover a broad spectrum of agriculture-related issues, including data on individual commodities, the general economy, agricultural trade, farm income and expenses, farm prices, food prices and expenditures, and other statistical indicators of the food and agriculture system.View report here

Earlier this week, President Obama’s Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force released its final strategy for long term ecosystem restoration for the Gulf Coast.  President Obama, who established the Task Force by executive order, vows to continue the Administration’s ongoing commitment to the Gulf region. With the release of the final strategy, the Task Force marks the beginning of the implementation phase of the strategy by announcing new initiatives, including $50 million in assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to help agricultural producers in seven Gulf Coast river basins improve water quality, increase water conservation and enhance wildlife habitat. Among the key priorities of the strategy are: 1) Stopping the Loss of Critical Wetlands, Sand Barriers and Beaches; 2) Reducing the Flow of Excess Nutrients into the Gulf; and 3) Enhancing Resiliency among Coastal Communities. The final strategy was developed following more than 40 public meetings throughout the Gulf to listen to the concerns of the public. View final strategy here

The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) has released a report which states that from 1982 to 2007, land used in agriculture dropped from 54 to 51 percent of total U.S. land area, while farming used 30 percent less hired labor and 40 percent less operator labor. Meanwhile, new technologies (such as precision agriculture) often requiring new or advanced management techniques have been increasingly adopted by farmers. Despite declines in the use of land and labor, agricultural productivity has maintained a linear growth pattern. Practices such as the use of genetically engineered seeds and no-till have dampened increases in machinery, fuel, and pesticide use. Likely aided by the increased use of risk management tools such as contracts and crop insurance, U.S. agricultural productivity has increased by nearly 50 percent since 1982. Future innovations will be necessary to maintain, or boost, current productivity gains in order to meet the growing global demands that will be placed upon U.S. agriculture. Although production has shifted dramatically to larger farms over the past 25 years, 97 percent of all farms remain family farms, generating more than 85 percent of the total value of U.S. agricultural production. Read full report here

The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) has released its latest collection of agricultural-related data from official statistical publications of the People's Republic of China [which includes] 250 data items available at the national level, and 45 crop, livestock, agricultural output, and population items available at the provincial level. View Data here

This episode is designed for people interested in applying for grants offered through local state departments of agriculture for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Specialty crops are a subset of the produce industry that includes fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, horticulture, and nursery crops. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) offers funds to help the specialty crop industry promote its products via tools like marketing campaigns and educational programs. In October, grants were offered to support projects in 50 U.S. states, four territories, and the District of Columbia that encourage the consumption of specialty crops. AMS is holding this webinar to increase awareness of this program and let people know how they can apply for a grant. In addition to the health benefits of increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables, specialty crop grants help support the local businesses that produce these crops. View blog here

Congressional/Administration News

FY 2012 spending bills. Today, the House will move forward and vote on a motion to begin the conference on the Military Construction-VA (HR 2055) measure, which has been targeted as the vehicle for the nine spending bill omnibus package. Lawmakers hope to complete the conference as early as this Thursday. To achieve this, Congressional appropriators and leadership plan on including the eight other overdue appropriations bills on the Military Construction-VA spending bill which has already passed in both chambers. If successful, this approach would allow Congress to complete the FY 2012 appropriations bills before the current continuing resolution (PL 112-55) expires Dec. 16. Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle and upper and lower chambers have made predictions for the success of this approach ranging from impossible to very probable. Only time will tell if the legislative branch of our government can do its job.  Stay tuned… 

On 21 Nov, the Co-Chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, Representative Jeb Hensarling and Senator Patty Murray, released the following statement."After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline. Despite our inability to bridge the committee's significant differences, we end this process united in our belief that the nation's fiscal crisis must be addressed and that we cannot leave it for the next generation to solve.  We remain hopeful that Congress can build on this committee’s work and can find a way to tackle this issue in a way that works for the American people and our economy. We are deeply disappointed that we have been unable to come to a bipartisan deficit reduction agreement, but as we approach the uniquely American holiday of Thanksgiving, we want to express our appreciation to every member of this committee, each of whom came into the process committed to achieving a solution that has eluded many groups before us. Most importantly, we want to thank the American people for sharing thoughts and ideas and for providing support and good will as we worked to accomplish this difficult task.We would also like to thank our committee staff, in particular Staff Director Mark Prater and Deputy Staff Director Sarah Kuehl, as well as each committee member's staff for the tremendous work they contributed to this effort.  We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Douglas Elmendorf and Mr. Thomas Barthold and their teams at the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation, respectively, for the technical support they provided to the committee and its members." 

Now that the dust from the Super Committee implosion has settled, lawmakers are discussing the development of the next farm bill in the coming year.Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) said she will build the farm bill that her committee writes next year on the “foundation of ideas” developed in the push to give the now-defunct deficit reduction committee a plan to save $23 billion over 10 years. “We basically were able to flesh out areas of agreement and areas of differences,” she told an audience at the Farm Journal Forum on Tuesday. Stabenow added that she isn’t planning on releasing the complete work product that she and House Agriculture Chairman Frank D. Lucas (R-OK) negotiated but never submitted to the deficit reduction panel. The panel folded on Nov. 21 after announcing that the six Democrats and six Republicans could not agree on $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction.  If Congress does move forward with the writing of a farm bill next year, the Societies will be in a favorable position to make recommendations and propose changes to the Research, Conservation, Energy, and Forestry titles.  As anticipated, coming to an agreement on restructuring the Commodity Title has been and will continue to be very challenging for lawmakers.

Sources: AIARD; Congressional Quarterly; Cornerstone Government Affairs; E&E Publishing; Food Industry Environmental Network, LLC

Vision: The Societies Washington, DC Science Policy Office (SPO) will advocate the importance and value of the agronomic, crop and soil sciences in developing national science policy and ensuring the necessary public-sector investment in the continued health of the environment for the well being of humanity. The SPO will assimilate, interpret, and disseminate in a timely manner to Society members information about relevant agricultural, natural resources and environmental legislation, rules and regulations under consideration by Congress and the Administration.

This page of the ASA-CSSA-SSSA web site will highlight current news items relevant to Science Policy. It is not an endorsement of any position.