USAID awards millions of dollars to Washington State University to combat lethal livestock disease in East Africa known as East Coast Fever

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded millions of dollars to Washington State University to combat a lethal livestock disease in East Africa known as East Coast Fever. The disease causes more than $300 million a year in losses in East Africa.

The $6 million to Washington State University to lead a new Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Animal Health has an additional $10 million in potential funding, the USAID Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick announced on Thursday.

Feed the Future is the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food-security initiative that was started under President Barack Obama and expanded by President Donald Trump.

Speaking at a virtual event with Congressional supporters and partners across the development community, Bonnie Glick announced four new partnerships under Feed the Future, including the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Animal Health.

USAID’s 21 Feed the Future Innovation Labs, led by U.S. universities, work on food-security and nutrition challenges in partner countries with local researchers and institutions. 

The critical investments continue to redefine what is possible in the effort to end hunger and poverty and are increasingly important in the face of COVID-19 and its impact on food security. 

One of the four partnerships announced on Thursday, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement, led by Cornell University, is awarding $4 million in research grants to national research centers. 

These Centers of Innovation, located in Malawi, Sénégal, Uganda and Costa Rica, “will undertake cutting-edge research on crop improvement to connect plant-breeding efforts with market demand to get new and better seeds to smallholder farmers,” USAID said.

See details of all the four partnerships announced on Thursday.

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Animal Health

USAID has awarded $6 million to Washington State University to lead a new Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Animal Health, with an additional $10 million in potential funding.  The Lab will leverage Washington State University’s expertise in animal health to develop programs and solutions to combat East Coast Fever, a lethal livestock disease in East Africa that threatens food security and nutrition. 

International Research Grants from the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement 

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement, led by Cornell University, has achieved a major milestone by awarding $4 million in research grants to national research centers.  These Centers of Innovation, located in the Republics of Costa Rica, Malawi, Sénégal and Uganda, will undertake cutting-edge research on crop improvement to connect plant-breeding efforts with market demand to get new and better seeds to smallholder farmers.

Innovation to Impact Initiative

USAID has awarded $1 million to the Feed the Future Soybean Innovation Lab, led by the University of Illinois, to launch the Innovation to Impact initiative, a platform designed to fully unlock the potential of innovative technologies and make them accessible to farmers to advance global food security.  The initiative will span beyond research in soybeans to leverage the Lab’s expertise in effectively commercializing new technologies. 

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems

USAID has extended the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems, led by the University of Florida, for five more years.  The Lab leverages the University of Florida’s expertise to improve livestock productivity and encourage healthier diets through the consumption of nutritious foods.