Cornell University to use $2 million in federal funding for food and agriculture research

ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University will use nearly $2 million in federal funding for food and agriculture research.

This money was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) announced Friday.

The funding falls under the USDA NIFA’s water quantity and quality, tactical sciences coordination network, and the food safety and defense research initiatives. These programs will support the development of sustainable food and agriculture defense against biological threats, innovative technology for food processing, and investments in improving irrigation systems.

Funding breakdown

Of the nearly $2 million funding award, Cornell will use nearly $500,000 to improve the quality of nontraditional water sources by bioremediation of microplastics in sewage and wastewater. The program invests in research, education, and extension projects to develop nontraditional water-irrigation systems that will improve irrigation practices for crops and livestock, nutrient management, and sustainable-water agricultural ecosystems.

The nearly $500,000 comes from the USDA’s agricultural and food research initiative (AFRI) water quantity and quality program.

The school will also use $1 million to conduct next-generation sequencing for early detection of transboundary and emerging pathogens. This research will improve the reliability of the U.S. food and agriculture system by “implementing improved defense systems” against biological threats to the national food supply, including pests and disease, per a news release from the senators.

That part of the funding award comes from the USDA’s tactical sciences coordination network program.

Cornell will also more than $474,000 to develop a data-analytics platform to classify different species of salmonella. This program focuses on technology to detect allergens, infections, and contaminants in food to improve the safety of food processing, manufacturing, and packaging.

The more than $474,000 originates from the USDA’s food safety and defense program.

“Amidst the pandemonium of the pandemic, Cornell University is conducting vital research that will improve food access and give New Yorkers the peace of mind that the food on their tables is safe to eat,” Schumer said. “The pandemic has exposed deep inequalities in food security and safety across the state, and today’s federal funding is an investment into long-term, innovative solutions to address those issues.”