Food Security Innovation Center Research for Development: Soy

Rob Bertram, PhDDirector- Agriculture Research, PolicyBureau of Food Security USAID rbertram@usaid.gov

The Global Challenge

Almost one billion people suffer from chronic hunger

More than 3.5 million (45% of <5 deaths) children die from undernutrition each year

The world’s population will increase to more than 9 billion by 2050

Food production will have to increase by 60-70%to feed the world

Competition for resources: land, water, energy Uncertainty factor: climate change

Global Food Prices

Source: FAO

1. Help farmers produce more

2. Help farmers get more food to market

3. Support Research & Development to improve smallholder agriculture in a changing climate

4. Strengthen Regional Trade

5. Create a better Policy Environment

6. Improve Access to Nutritious Food and Nutrition Services

What we are doing

• Advancing the productivity frontier• Transforming key production systems• Improving nutrition and food safety

Three research themes:

• Indo-gangetic plains in South Asia• Sudano-sahelien systems in West Africa• Maize and livestock mixed systems in

East and Southern Africa• Ethiopian highlands

Anchored by key geographies:

Overarching Goal: Sustainable Intensification

Research Strategy

Food Security Innovation Center

6 6

3 Major Research Programs

IntegratedCross-Cutting Programs

Program anchoring research in key farmingsystems

Program for Safe and Nutritious Foods

Program for PolicyResearch and Support

Program for Human and Institutional Capacity Building

!

^ ^

••

•

••

••

••

••

•••••

•••

• ★•

•• •

•••

•• •

•

•

•••

••

•

•

•

•

•••

•

•

•

••

•

•

•

• •

•

••

•

•

•

★

★

★

★★

★

★

★★

★★

★★

★

Washington State University Climate Resilient Wheat

Colorado State University Adapting Livestock Systems

to Climate Change

Oregon State University Aquaculture and Fisheries

University of Californiaat Riverside Climate Resilient

Cowpea

University of California at Davis Assets & Markets Access Climate Resilient Millet Climate Resilient Chickpea Horticulture Genomics to Improve

Poultry

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Soybean Value Chain Research

Michigan State University Food Security Policy Grain Legumes

Tufts University Nutrition

Pennsylvania State University Climate Resilient

Beans

University of Texas, El Paso Rift Valley Fever Control in

Agriculture

Kansas State University Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss Applied Wheat Genomics Sorghum & Millet

Texas A&M University Small Scale Irrigation

University of Georgia Peanut & Mycotoxin Climate Resilient

Sorghum

Virginia Tech University Sustainable Agriculture

& Natural Resource Management

Integrated Pest Management

★ Lead Institution • Collaborating Institution

•Puerto RicoHawaii

Feed the Future Innovation Labs

••

•

•

•

Purdue University Food Processing &

Post-Harvest Handling

Soybean Value Chain Research

Why Soybean?Soybean is the fastest growing agricultural crop over

the last 20 years, expanding at a rate of 8% per yearSoy is grown in over 85 countries on a total of almost

100 million hectaresThis impressive growth has occurred despite being a

non-native crop in 94% of regions currently producing soybeanRecent expansion has occurred in the lower latitude

regions of the world where food insecurity rates and poverty rates are highest and where poor populations are often deficient in protein consumption

The dramatic rise of soybean in global agriculture can be attributed to: the nutritional value it offers users given its

high protein and oil content, and the economic benefits it provides farmers

by being both a highly productive and profitable crop. dietary shifts towards livestock and poultry semi tropical and tropical production systems supports soil fertility enhancement through

legume-based nitrogen fixation--rotations

Benefits of Soybean

Goal: Help African farmers participate in the soy revolution

• Global Farmer Soybean Revenue– $126,000,000,000

• African Farmer Soybean Revenue– $1,012,500,000 (.8%)

• African Farmer Soybean Revenue (ex-South Africa)– $610,000,000 (.48%)

• The driver is poultry feed (also pork, aquaculture)

• Soybean is a proven powerful driver of rural economic development and malnutrition reduction– Very high human development indices in

districts where soybean is grown

• Soybean meal has long been considered the best source of supplemental protein in diets for poultry and swine.

• Soybean meal is by far the most widely used protein source in the USA and throughout the world

• Aquaculture—replacing fishmeal in fish feeds

Animal Feed

What is Feed the Future Innovation lab for Soy Value Chain Research? A consortium of leading soybean researchers in the

U.S. and Africa with the support of local research partners have designed the Foundations for Soybean in Africa Project The approach of the Foundations Project is based on

four research pillars (I) Genetic Improvement (II) Enhanced Crop Productivity and Quality (III) Nutrition (IV) Value Chains and Socio-Economic Research

Soybean Value Chain Lab: Univ. Illinois-led Consortium

These four pillars comprise the essential components of sustained production improved household nutritionsustainable market linkages for smallholder

farmersThe Foundations Project’s architecture is based on a

novel SMART Farm concept (Soybean Management with Appropriate Research and Technology) as its platformhttp://soybeaninnovationlab.illinois.edu/

Where we work: African countries where soybean emerging

Foundations for Soybean Research

1. Plant Breeding and Germplasm Development

2. Seed and Grain quality and storage

3. Plant Breeding education and training

4. Production and Agronomics

5. Human nutrition6. Livestock nutrition7. Gender Implications8. The Economics of Value

Chains9. Environmental Impact

1. Drs. Diers and Nelson, UI– Crop sciences

2. Drs. Bilyeu and Clark, UM– Crop sciences

3. Dr. Mumm, UI– Plant Breeding Center

4. Drs. Reynolds and Awuni, MSU– Crop sciences

5. Drs. Gundersen and Nash, UI– Human Nutrition

6. Dr. Lacy, UG– Poultry Nutrition

7. Drs. Ragsdale and Peterson, MSU– Sociology and Anthropology

8. Dr. Findeis, UM– Economics

9. Dr. Guest, UI Env. Engineering

Soy Innovation Lab: Addressing critical needs for smallholders

• Established a SMART farm in Ghana– Soybean Management with Appropriate Research and

Technology– Production, agronomic, and varietal testing station

• Varietal Improvement Program for Soybeans– Working with IITA and NARs to establish a coordinated

continuous and transparent varietal testing program• Masters degree in Soybean Breeding

– University of Ghana and West African Center for Crop Improvement

• Development of a low processing soybean– Increases household utilization by reducing labor and

energy costs

Filling gaps for a sound foundation for smallholders

• Technical support and germplasm exchange NARs – Direct technical advisory partnerships

• Bradyrhizobia persistence in tropical soils • Soybean seed germination evaluation • Poultry Nutrition Centers

– Local processing, marketing and utilization of meal• The environmental impact of soybean production • Smallholder adoption, gender, and economics• Soy Cows and Vitagoats for human nutrition and

entrepreneurship • Tropical Soybean Information Portal (TSIP)

What are the benefits of Soybean Innovation lab to US Soy producers

1) Foster market demand for soy in AfricaResearch would support development of feed and

food processors in African countriesBenefits: Expanding food and feed markets in Africa increase

export market opportunity for US soy producers as local production will not meet local processor demandReduce poverty among African smallholder producers

selling soy into the fledgling markets.

Benefits-continued 2) Increased acceptance of genetically engineered crops

Brings relevant US technology and capacity to improve productivity for smallholders, including through biotechnology

African farmers and industry will see the value of new science and support science-based regulatory policies (PBS). Support would spillover to corn as well.US soy producers, who are often also corn producers, could

increasingly export to countries where new technologies are being accepted.

U.S. and African farmers benefit from mutually advantageous advances in germplasm, including to diseases, pests and abiotic stress (e.g., heat, drought)

3) US-friendly industry standards establishedUS researchers would introduce US standards for

technology and equipment along the value chain to be the basis for development of African countries’ national standards.Benefits: Standards are introduced during

nascent stages of market development in African countries, so have greater chance of taking hold.US producers are spared regulatory burdens that may

limit market access opportunities.Smallholder producers can benefit from accessibility to

US technologies (e.g., processing, feed formulations)

Please See our Feed the Future Website

Thank You!www.feedthefuture.gov