The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement, led by Cornell, has been awarded a second five-year, $25 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to continue advancing its mission of improving global food security and agricultural resilience.

This renewed funding will enable the Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement (ILCI) to strengthen its interdisciplinary efforts to support demand-driven, socially responsive crop improvement programs in key regions around the world.

Established in 2019 with an initial $25 million grant from USAID, ILCI supports public plant breeding programs in low-resourced countries. In its initial phase, the lab collaborated with National Agricultural Research Institutions across 11 countries to advance crop improvement initiatives designed to address food security needs in Central America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa.

Now entering its second phase, ILCI will refine its approach and deepen global collaborations over the next five years.

“Our mission at the Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement is to drive lasting, sustainable change in how new crop varieties are developed and made accessible to farmers,” said Stephen Kresovich, ILCI director and professor of plant breeding and genetics in the School of Integrative Plant Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Robert and Lois Coker Trustees Chair of Genetics at Clemson University. “Cornell’s legacy in agricultural innovation positions us to lead global efforts in this next phase, advancing scalable and equitable solutions that will bolster food security for the most vulnerable, in alignment with the U.S. Global Food Security Strategy.”

Phase II of ILCI will focus on scaling up crop improvement and capacity-building efforts across four key regions: Central America and the Caribbean, West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. By combining expertise in biological, computational, and social sciences, ILCI will address critical challenges to crop breeding, such as climate resilience, equitable development and the sustainability of agricultural systems. 

Through its transdisciplinary approach, ILCI aims to strengthen food security in key regions and catalyze crop improvement advancements that can be adopted in the United States.

As part of this next phase, ILCI will consolidate its research and development efforts across a diverse range of crops and expand the impact of regional networks. A central focus will be on empowering public- and private-sector scientists in target countries, supporting local researchers and institutions to take the lead in advancing crop improvement initiatives tailored to their specific needs.

“USAID supports developing improved crop varieties and connecting breeding efforts to systems that deliver seeds at scale, driving gains for smallholder farmers and local markets,” said Rob Bertram, chief scientist in USAID’s Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security. “The Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement plays a key role in Feed the Future's food security strategy, and its extension will boost capacity to sustainably and inclusively enhance global food and agriculture productivity.” 

ILCI’s extensive network includes collaborations with private seed enterprises, global initiatives such as those from CGIAR, and regional organizations in the Americas and Africa. These partnerships will be critical in facilitating the adoption of improved crop varieties.

“This renewed support from USAID empowers Cornell to continue leading transformational efforts in international agriculture,” said Benjamin Z. Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS. “By advancing innovative, climate-resilient solutions, we’re not only addressing today’s pressing food security challenges, but also building a more sustainable future for agriculture worldwide.”

ILCI is a collaborative program, led by domestic scientific experts from Cornell, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), Clemson University, Colorado State University and the University of Texas at Austin. ILCI is one of two USAID-funded Innovation Labs with whole or partial leadership based at Cornell, alongside the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Safety (FSIL).

More information about the program can be found on the ILCI website.

Matt Hayes is the communications and external relations manager for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement. The full version of this story can be read here.