There’s no question that this has been a whirlwind year for farmers, with trade disruptions and volatile markets taking their toll on the entire agricultural industry.
Some of the biggest challenges this year stemmed from pest and disease outbreaks, which hurt farmers and consumers alike. We all likely remember the huge spike in egg costs last spring, as poultry producers in every state battled avian influenza, a disease that is still plaguing farmers even though grocery store prices have come down. U.S. cattle imports from Mexico were also cut off this year due to New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that can be deadly for livestock and was recently discovered just 70 miles south of the Texas border. U.S. beef prices, already near record levels, are likely to push higher as a result.
Unfortunately, avian flu and New World screwworm won’t be the last pest and disease threats to hurt agriculture, and while these two outbreaks have captured the public’s attention, numerous other risks are flying under the radar. A new report released this week by my organization, Farm Journal Foundation, looks at a “Mean Sixteen” list of major biosecurity threats facing U.S. agriculture, analyzing their economic impact and the policy solutions that are needed to protect farmers and our food supplies.
The truth is, pest and disease outbreaks are affecting every single agricultural sector – from corn to cattle to cotton to citrus. Invasive species alone cost the U.S. as much as $120 billion annually, according to estimates published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and between 20 percent and 40 percent of crop production globally is lost to pests every year.
Pests and pathogens can be introduced from overseas or different parts of the country by shippers and travelers, on trade winds or storms, or as acts of terrorism or economic sabotage. While there has not been a documented case of deliberate foreign introduction of pests or pathogens into the U.S. agricultural sector to date, it is something that the U.S. government is preparing for, with the help of laboratories like the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Kansas.
New pest and disease threats are constantly emerging, so it’s difficult to know for certain what our next big outbreak will be. We based our Mean Sixteen list on consultations with numerous commodity organizations and scientific experts across the country, representing row crop, horticulture, livestock, and aquaculture sectors. Our research shows that every industry faces serious challenges, costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars. The Florida citrus industry, for example, has seen its production collapse by 95 percent since the 1990s because of citrus greening disease, which has cost our economy $900 million a year from this market alone.
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Most of the crop pests and diseases included on our Mean Sixteen list do not currently have fully effective treatments, either preventive or post-infection. For livestock, vaccines for many major diseases, like Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), do not exist yet, or in cases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, the vaccines we have only offer short-term immunity.
This lack of treatment options underscores the need to increase investment in agricultural research and development; however, public spending on agricultural R&D has been declining in real dollars for the past two decades, U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows. This is in spite of the fact that agricultural R&D returns $20 in benefits to the U.S. economy for every $1 spent.
Recent cuts to international research programs are particularly alarming, because these programs have direct benefits for U.S. farmers. Numerous Innovation Labs at land-grant universities, formerly funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future Initiative, have had to close their doors, and even though there has been discussion about reopening them, their futures remain uncertain. The international agricultural research consortium CGIAR also had its funding from the U.S. eliminated, which is bad news both for U.S. farmers and smallholders around the world who have benefited from its innovations.
The U.S. needs to strengthen systems, both domestically and internationally, that are designed to monitor outbreaks and disseminate information to help respond to crises. Farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians need up-to-date training to identify and report on new outbreaks. The public and private sectors need to mechanisms that encourage collaboration on innovation, such as the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, a public-private partnership that returns $1.40 to investments to taxpayers for every $1 it receives in federal funding. Importantly, we also need to make sure that everyone in this country, whether they are involved in agriculture or not, has a stake in understanding the threat that these pests and diseases pose to our agriculture sector.
We all learned from the COVID-19 pandemic just how fast diseases can spread around the world. Crop and livestock diseases are no different, and in some ways, these threats are even more significant due to their potential to harm a fundamental element of human existence – our food. The U.S. needs to increase investment in solutions to address these risks, to protect the livelihoods of America’s farmers and ensure safe, affordable food for everyone.
Stephanie Mercier is an agricultural economist and senior policy adviser at Farm Journal Foundation.