The USAID Office of Agricultural Research and Policy hosted the annual meeting of the 24 Feed the Future Innovation Labs on September 13, 2016. This was an invitation-only event. The purpose of this year’s meeting was to familiarize USAID Washington colleagues with the research and technologies generated by the Innovation Labs, with an emphasis on the role of research in the development of technology, and identify opportunities for collaboration.

The Feed the Future Innovation Labs (formerly called Collaborative Research Support Programs or CRSPs) were created under Title XII of the International Development and Food Assistance Act of 1975, which authorized USAID to engage U.S. land grant and other eligible universities to address the needs of developing nations while also contributing to U.S. food security and agricultural development. In 2000, Title XII was reauthorized, enabling the continuation of the Innovation Labs as one of several types of U.S. university research efforts helping “to achieve the mutual goals among nations of ensuring food security, human health, agricultural growth, trade expansion, and the wise and sustainable use of natural resources." To learn more about the Innovation Labs, please visit this page on Agrilinks.