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Purdue University Latest News: Haley Oliver Awarded $10M USAID Grant

Haley Oliver, professor of food science at Purdue University, has received $10 million in funding from USAID to extend the FSIL.
Haley Oliver, professor of food science in Purdue University’s College of Agriculture, has been awarded $10 million in funding for a five-year extension of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Safety. (Purdue University photo)

Key Takeaways:

  • Haley Oliver, professor of food science at Purdue University, has received $10 million in funding from USAID to extend the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Safety (FSIL).
  • FSIL works to improve food safety in six countries, focusing on preventing illnesses caused by microbial pathogens in perishable foods.
  • The next phase will target policy development and food safety behavior change in Cambodia, Nepal, and Kenya.
  • Ongoing research includes consumer perspectives on food safety, with new projects focusing on government and private-sector engagement.

Purdue University’s Haley Oliver, professor of food science, has been awarded $10 million by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to continue her role as director of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Safety (FSIL). This funding extends the lab’s work for five more years, focusing on improving global food safety and preventing microbial foodborne illnesses. Since 2019, FSIL has conducted research across Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, and Senegal.

FSIL’s First Phase: Addressing Food Safety Gaps

In its initial phase, FSIL identified critical food safety gaps, including key pathogens and the safety practices of consumers and small-scale producers. The lab also explored food safety economics, analyzing consumer willingness to pay for safer food, which can influence market dynamics. This work laid the foundation for policy improvements in Cambodia, Nepal, and Kenya, where FSIL will now focus its efforts.

Phase Two: Fostering Behavior Change and Policy Development

In the next phase, FSIL will focus on behavior change and policy development in Cambodia, Nepal, and Kenya, targeting gaps in consumer awareness and food safety training. The lab has also launched a poultry food safety project in Kenya and will conduct food safety surveys in these countries to capture consumer perspectives on food safety risks and policies.

Future Research Areas

New projects, selected through a competitive application process, will focus on increasing consumer awareness, empowering governments to use food safety data, and motivating the private sector to adopt safe food production practices.


Purdue University Agriculture Latest News

Launches Indiana Organic Network to Boost Soil Health (2024/05/14)

Purdue University has formed an interdisciplinary team to establish the Indiana Organic Network (ION), a statewide initiative aimed at improving soil health on organic farms. The project, supported by a nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, aims to enhance sustainable farming practices and boost the productivity of organic farmers in Indiana. The initiative is led by Yichao Rui, an assistant professor in the Department of Agronomy, and Ashley Adair, an Extension organic agriculture specialist in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. Indiana ranks fifth in U.S. agriculture production, historically known for large-scale conventional corn and soybean farming. The project aims to assist certified organic farms and those transitioning to organic status. A key component of the project is conducting the first statewide soil health census on organic farms in Indiana.

U.S. Farmers’ Economic Outlook Improves in March (2024/04/03)

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer reported a modest improvement in U.S. farmers’ economic optimism in March 2024. The Index of Current Conditions slightly declined, while the Index of Future Expectations saw a positive adjustment, suggesting cautious optimism for the upcoming year. Interest rate expectations have shifted, with an increase in farmers anticipating a decline in the U.S. prime interest rate over the next year. The Farm Capital Investment and Farmland Values Indices saw positive changes, reflecting growing producer optimism about making large investments. However, farmers expressed concerns about potential government policy changes following the year’s elections.

Read the complete survey here.

Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer Indicates Slight Rise in Farmer Sentiment (2024/03/06)

According to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer, farmer sentiment has improved slightly, driven by enhanced future expectations despite no significant changes in current conditions. The survey reveals high input costs and lower crop/livestock prices as the predominant worries among farmers. However, there is still a mix of growth expectations and concerns regarding farmland values. The Barometer offers critical insights into the agricultural sector’s sentiment, encapsulating farmers’ optimism, challenges, and strategic considerations across North America.

Read the complete report here.

Purdue University’s Top Farmer Conference 2024 (2023/11/28)

Purdue University is hosting the Top Farmer Conference on January 5, 2024, at the Beck Agricultural Center. The conference features renowned experts who will discuss topics such as Federal Reserve policy, biofuels, and market outlooks. Attendees can engage in a Q&A panel discussion with speakers and gain exclusive access to conference materials for a fee of $150. 

Receives $1.1M NSF Grant for Plant Stress Research (2023/10/06)

Purdue University has been granted $1.1 million by the NSF to fund research on how plants adapt to environmental stress. Led by Associate Professor Gyeong Mee Yoon, the research aims to understand the molecular responses of plants to stressors like drought, severe heat, and cold. The research will focus on two different biochemical pathways that plants use to improve their response to environmental stress, exploring how they are connected and how they regulate the overall plant’s response to the environment. The findings could have implications for food security and the development of high-yield, pathogen-resistant, and stress-tolerant plants. The NSF grant will also support outreach programs and research opportunities for undergraduates and high school students.

Purdue College of Agriculture’s Transformative Research (2023/09/15)

In scientific research, funding often serves as the driving force that turns visions into reality. The Purdue College of Agriculture recently illustrated the potency of this principle by securing a record-breaking $106 million in grants. This is an impressive leap from the $85 million raised last year.

Spearheads $1.5M Climate Change Partnership with USDA Midwest Climate Hub (2023/05/19)

Purdue University is leading a $1.5 million partnership with the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Midwest Climate Hub to help farmers and landowners in Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa combat climate change. The project, called Integrated Midwest Partnerships for Actionable Climate Tools and Training (IMPACT2), will reach a broad audience across the Corn Belt and provide scenario-based activities and training to at least 500 farmer producers and landowners. The project aims to help farmers adapt to changing conditions and limit further issues, with experts from multiple universities providing invaluable support.

Secures USDA Grants for Sustainable Agricultural Systems (2023/04/11)

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has given Purdue University two grants totaling $1 million each for five years. The first funding is given to a $10 million initiative led by Brent Ross of Michigan State University that aims to create resilient food systems that can weather a variety of catastrophes, including pandemics, tornadoes, and floods. The second funding will aid in creating a controlled-environment agriculture platform for raising salt-tolerant food crops using saline irrigation water as part of a $10 million project directed by Raghupathy Karthikeyan of Clemson University.

Purdue University Researchers Design Two LED Lighting Strategies To Optimise Energy Use (2023/02/21)

Purdue University researchers have developed two LED lighting strategies to improve crop yield and reduce energy costs for indoor farming. The project is part of OptimIA, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Ph.D. candidate Fatemeh Sheibani and Professor Cary Mitchell propose a close-canopy-lighting strategy to lower energy consumption. The researchers found that most indoor farming operations waste light, which accounts for up to 60% of the operations’ operating expenditure. By using LEDs properly, they can increase canopy photon collection efficiency.

Read the rest of the research here.

Purdue University Receives $10M Grant From USDA For Aquaponic Research Project (2023/02/17)

Purdue University has just received a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase the production of seafood in the United States. The funding will be used to build a pilot-scale integrated aquaponics system that will produce tilapia and lettuce. Aquaponics is a sustainable method of farming that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to intensively produce seafood and plants using less land and water than conventional food production. By using this system, Purdue researchers hope to reduce the United States’ dependence on imported seafood, which currently accounts for about 90% of all seafood consumed in the country.

Photo by Jed Owen on Unsplash

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