US must step up its agricultural R&D, says SoAR advocate

Scientific American : “The quest for better broccoli starts with more science,” writes Tom Grumbly, president of the Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR ). In his guest commentary he cites the recent finding that the method used by manufacturers for freezing broccoli destroys its ability to form the cancer-fighting nutrients found in the fresh vegetable. Scientists were able to rectify the problem through research funded by a grant from the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) of the US Department of Agriculture . They found that adding a small sprinkling of freeze-dried daikon radish to frozen broccoli can restore its health-promoting nutrients. Research like this is necessary, Grumbly says, for improving food and agriculture production in the US. Despite being one of the largest food producers in the world, the US is surpassed in agricultural R&D investment by several other countries, most notably China. In his commentary, Grumbly urges support for President Obama’s 2016 budget, which includes a $125 million increase in AFRI grants and is currently being discussed in Congress.