Food Security
Copper May Be the Key to ‘Growing’ More Land and Feeding the World
Two Cornell University scientists are working with wheat in a way that may both improve crop yield and increase the amount of productive land farmers have to work with.
4-H Youth is 'Making a Difference' One Community Food Pantry at a Time
Sometimes, to make a difference, you just have to take matters into your own hands. That’s exactly what 4-H’er Mackenzie Hinson did in Mount Olive, North Carolina. As a result, thousands of area residents worry less about finding healthy food to eat.
Breeding Highly Productive Corn has Reduced its Ability to Adapt
Stuck where they are, plants have to adapt to their environments, responding to stresses like drought or pests by changing how they grow.
'Plant a Row' Volunteers Support Local Food Pantries
During the growing season, Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Prince William, Virginia Master Gardener Volunteers reap rewards from local farmers each week by collecting unsold fruits, vegetables, flowers and bakery items at local farmers’ markets and distributing to needy families through food pantries. This project, Plant a Row for the Hungry, has been managed by staff and volunteers at VCE Prince William since 2001.
National Ag Day: Giving Thanks for Agriculture, from Farm to Fork
Today is National Ag Day, a day to recognize the role of American agriculture in our daily lives and the efforts of those who shape the American food system. The average American farmer feeds approximately 144 people worldwide, and with agriculture being our number one export, agriculture is critically important to sustaining the U.S. economy.
NIFA Programs Key to Reducing U.S. Household Food Insecurity
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) opened its doors on Oct. 1, 2009, created by the 2008 Farm Bill. NIFA begins its eighth year as USDA’s premier extramural agricultural science agency by examining its role in helping reduce hunger in the United States.
Reversing Pollinator Decline is Key to Feeding the Future
Without pollinators, we don’t eat—it’s simple as that—and, at the moment, large numbers of pollinators are dying. With the world’s population projected to exceed 9 billion in just the next 30 years or so, that is not a good position for us to be in.
NIFA Collaborates Internationally to Help Countries Improve Food Security
Food security, having a reliable source of safe and nutritious food, is a cornerstone of good human health.
Real Superheroes Wear Lab Coats
Superheroes really do work among us. But, instead of capes and cowls and ice palaces and caves, they are often found in a lab at a public university or state agriculture department, wearing lab coats and working over a microscope.
Tribal Communities Strive to Regain Food Sovereignty
For thousands of years Native Americans thrived in self-sustaining communities. Now, many have to make do with whatever food and basic goods can be hauled in by truck.