As the Trump administration continues its intended goal of dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the first step has involved freezing funding for research. Nationwide, 17 labs affiliated with land grant universities, like Michigan State University, are doing farm research projects that forward USAID's mission.
David Tschirley, director of the Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research, Capacity, and Influence, said the lab's research helps increase the level of productivity in a farm, which, in turn, increases the incomes of farmers in developing countries.
According to Tschirley, agricultural research also brings domestic benefits.
"For every dollar that is spent on these programs, $30 to $40 comes back to the U.S. in the forms of increased export, increased jobs, and then kind of unquantifiable goodwill for people in the countries that we work," Tschirley said.
For the time being, Michigan State University has offered to pay staff salaries that would otherwise come from grant funding for two months. According to Tschirley, losing faculty working on the research wouldn't just impose a huge cost on a few individuals.
"We would really be damaging and MSU's long, long legacy," Tschirley said.
The swift impact of the second Trump administration on agriculture is not just limited to research, but affects Michigan farmers and businesses as well.
According to Chuck Lippstreu, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association, Michigan's geographical location and relationship with Ontario mean products move across the border frequently. Despite the threat of 25% tariffs on Canadian imports averted, for the time being, the industry is still preparing for the possibility.
"I think people should understand that there is a level of uncertainty in the agricultural industry," Lippstreu said. "And even without tariffs enacted, there's work that goes in on the business side to making sure that we're prepared."
In the end, according to Lippstreu, farmers and businesses are just going to have to wait to see which federal freezes will impact them and how.
Hear the full conversation with David Tschirley and Chuck Lippstreu on the Stateside podcast. Read more about the USAID funding freeze below:
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GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Chuck Lippstreu, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association
- David Tschirley, director of the Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research, Capacity, and Influence at Michigan State University
