AURI recently attended the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) public board session. FFAR was created in the 2014 Farm Bill to “catalyze innovation to solve pressing food and agriculture challenges that affect the lives of all Americans” by increasing the scientific and technological research, innovation and partnerships critical to enhancing sustainable production of nutritious food and agricultural products.
AURI Board of Directors chair, Ron Obermoller, addressed the FFAR Board and brought Minnesota’s interests in food and agriculture forward, including a focus on biobased products (read the address here). In the recent report Agbioscience as a Development Driver: Minnesota Agbioscience Strategy, Battelle Memorial Institute indicates that in the United States biomaterial demand is forecasted to reach $4.6 billion in 2016, representing yearly growth of 7 percent, creating new economic opportunities and jobs for rural America.
AURI will explore partnership opportunities with FFAR to spur food and agricultural innovation to increase business and employment opportunities in the areas of food, biobased products and coproduct utilization.