Additional Context: The Soybean Innovation Lab built what researchers describe as the only large-scale data management platform for soybean variety testing in Africa, containing more than 2 million data points from trials across 31 countries. The system allowed researchers and seed companies to compare crop performance across agroecological zones and select appropriate varieties for farmers. After the withdrawal of federal funding, the platform has effectively gone offline, leaving breeders and national research institutes without a centralized system to manage trial data or guide variety selection.

Devex Researcher Note: The Feed the Future Innovation Labs were USAID-funded research programs that advanced U.S. innovation leadership in agriculture and global food security. Of the 17 Innovation Labs, 16 received cancellation notices from the Department of State/USAID, while one—the Climate-Resilient Cereals Lab at Kansas State University—received a resume work order on April 7, after a three month freeze in operations. The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture at UC Davis has since launched ‘Responsible Innovations’ to preserve years of food systems research and global partnerships.

Source: Soybean Innovation Lab