Task Force Index

Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Food and Agricultural Markets
Category: Task Force Index
June, 2020

This paper examines the many economic factors and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the agriculture sector.

Stewardship Challenges for New Pest Management Technologies in Agriculture
Category: Task Force Index
May, 2020

Technology is a key enabler of more efficient agricultural production as growers attempt to meet the cost-effective need for increased food, fiber, and bioenergy, while managing limited inputs, conserving valuable natural resources, and protecting environmental quality. Each new pest management technology (weed, insect, disease) developed brings a number of benefits and risks—environmental, health, resistance—that must be considered and managed through effective stewardship practices to ensure that benefits are fully realized while risks are minimized.

Producing Food Products from Cultured Animal Tissues
Category: Task Force Index
April, 2020

Today, the technology necessary to culture cells for human consumption in the form of cell cultivated meat is developing at a rapid pace. Milestones to bring these products to market for consumer purchase are being achieved quickly, and media attention has dramatically increased. Still, there are many questions that need to be addressed before cell cultivated meat is ready for the dinner table.

Impact of Recruitment and Retention of Food Animal Veterinarians on the U.S. Food Supply
Category: Task Force Index
April, 2020

Why is it so difficult to recruit and retain food animal veterinarians in the United States? And how might this impact the future food supply?

Interpreting Pesticide Residues in Food
Category: Task Force Index
October, 2019

There is a keen awareness among many consumers that pesticide chemicals frequently reach consumers in the form of food residues. This report concludes that there is no direct scientific or medical evidence indicating that typical exposure of consumers to pesticide residues poses any health risk.

Protecting Food Animal Gene Pools for Future Generations
Category: Task Force Index
September, 2019

The world’s population is expected to reach more than 9 billion by 2050, creating a grand societal challenge: ramping up agricultural productivity to feed the globe. Livestock and poultry products are keys to the world supply of protein, but genetic diversity of livestock is fading. This paper addresses several important challenges regarding the effective protection of remaining genetic diversity.

Reducing the Impacts of Agricultural Nutrients on Water Quality across a Changing Landscape
Category: Task Force Index
May, 2019

Although efficiency of our agricultural systems has increased, water quality remains a concern with minimal measured improvements observed nationwide. This paper provides an overview of the processes, conservation practices, and programs that influence the impact of agriculture on surface and groundwater quality.

Enabling Open-source Data Networks in Public Agricultural Research
Category: Task Force Index
May, 2019

This commentary documents the need for and anticipated benefits of developing data-sharing standards, incentivizing researchers to share data, and building a data-sharing infrastructure within agricultural research.

Aquifer Depletion and Potential Impacts on Long-term Irrigated Agricultural Productivity
Category: Task Force Index
February, 2019

This issue paper reviews the causes and consequences of groundwater depletion, with a focus on impacts to agriculture as the largest sector of groundwater use.

Food Loss and Waste
Category: Task Force Index
September, 2018

Reducing food loss and waste (FLW) is one of the key strategies to combat hunger and sustainably feed the world. This paper provides a critical overview of U.S. FLW through an objective, balanced, and data-driven approach.