Group of foundations launches food, agriculture policy research initiative

A group of foundations on Tuesday in Washington launched AGree, a food and agriculture research initiative, Bloomberg reports (Bjerga, 5/3).

The initiative, which aims to "tackle long-term food and agriculture policy issues," is backed by eight foundations, according to press release issued by AGree. "Over the next four decades there will be an additional 2.6 billion people on Earth to feed - a 38 percent population increase from today ... Simultaneously, the world faces a limited amount of easily accessible arable land, increasing pressures on freshwater quality and availability and accelerating environmental degradation," the release states (5/3).

"The initiative's diverse group of leaders will include Gary Hirshberg, the CEO of organic yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm; former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman; and Jim Moseley, an Indiana farmer who served as deputy agriculture secretary in President George W. Bush's administration," the Des Moines Register writes (Brasher, 5/3). Emmy Simmons, former assistant administrator for Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade at USAID and a board member for several agriculture and global development organizations, will also help lead the initiative, the press release adds (5/3).

"Food policy is too important just to be left to people in the food industry," said Glickman. "For too long, food and farm policy have been related to a narrow range of interests," he said, Bloomberg reports. According to Hirshberg, AGree will support agricultural research that is "agnostic" in an effort to help U.S. policymakers arrive at decisions that have an effect on domestic and international food production (5/3).

"AGree is funded by Ford Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and The Walton Family Foundation," the release notes (5/3).


    http://www.kaiserhealthnews.orgThis article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

    Comments

    The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
    Post a new comment
    Post

    While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

    Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

    Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

    Read the full Terms & Conditions.

    You might also like...
    Limiting fast-food outlets can reduce childhood overweight and obesity