Additional Context: The Soybean Innovation Lab funded pathology research and surveillance for soybean pests and diseases across Africa, including monitoring threats like red leaf blotch, a fungal disease not yet present in the states but considered a potential risk to U.S. soybean production. The program’s chief pathologist, based in Nairobi, helped monitor outbreaks and provide early warning information. With the termination of federal funding, researchers say this early detection and surveillance work will no longer continue at the same scale.

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