• GOAL 1:  Strengthening Global Competitiveness
• GOAL 2:  Improve Human Nutrition
• GOAL 3:  Protecting Animal Health
• GOAL 4:  Improve Food Safety
• GOAL 5:  Ensure Environmental Quality
• GOAL 6:  Promote Animal Well-Being
• Overarching Themes and Potential Actions to Improve Implementation 

GOAL 1:  STRENGTHENING GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS
Examples of Effective Collaborative Programs/Activities

• National Animal Germplasm Program and National genome database
• Conducted research on phosphorous and nitrogen utilization by animal agriculture enhancing environmental stewardship
• Jointly planned and coordinated USDA Aquaculture Research

Recommendations for Improving Effectiveness

• Research to provide basis for issues related to international trade (WTO), food safety standards (Codex), and environmental standards (ISO)
• Enhance development of innovative technologies, products, and production systems to meet international and national market demands and tracking systems
• Coordinate research with protocols for assessing risks and establishing regulations
• Recognize differences for geographic regions and producer size when establishing research priorities
• Provide the science base needed to create criteria leading to the introduction of new products/technologies

GOAL 2:  IMPROVE HUMAN NUTRITION
Examples of Effective Collaborative Programs/Activities

• Carried out a program to enhance consumption of calcium rich foods among adolescents
• Conducted research to modify composition of milk fat
• Converted the liability of producing foods high in selenium to marketable assets

Recommendations for Improving Effectiveness

• Emphasize “Food Systems” approach; foods/meals/diets in addition to nutrient only programs; consider nutrition affects and/or consequences from animal inputs all the way through consumer purchase.
• Conduct research directly focused on dietary patterns and biomarkers to define tangible benefits to support the USDA Food Guide Pyramid.
•  Research/development on animal based functional food delivery systems to demonstrate benefits to populations in developing and industrialized countries.
• Discovery and analysis of animal derived components related to “health” benefits of animal food products.
• Use genomics and functional genomic techniques to maximize nutrition quality of animal foods to enhance nutrient status.
• Consider nutritional content as part of quality definition.
•  Provide nutritional information to meet the needs of specific subgroups in populations

GOAL 3: PROTECTING ANIMAL HEALTH
 Examples of Effective Collaborative Program/Activities

• Initiation of the first International  Agricultural Microbial Genetics Workshop.
• Coordinated programs to prevent and control of respiratory diseases.
• Conducted collaborative research with the Northeast Pasture Consortium

 Recommendations for Improving Effectiveness

• Improve interactions and communications among national associations, agencies, and Congress. 
• Investigate biological linkages among animal health, food safety/animal well-being.
• Investigate husbandry and handling systems that promote wellness and reduce need for treatment, alternative treatments to control animal diseases. 
• Consider wildlife epidemiology and diagnostics in farm animal health management. 
• Develop a sound business case for enhancing ARS infrastructure to address disasters. 
• Include monitoring, surveillance, control and prevention of diseases of wildlife. 
• Use genomics to identify disease resistant phenotypes that are healthier under different management systems. 
• Validate management practices as they relate to animal health. 
• Develop real time diagnostic tools

GOAL 4:  IMPROVE FOOD SAFETY
Examples of Effective Collaborative Programs/Activities

• Collaborated with FDA on education programs of fresh fruits and vegetables for food safety.
• Participation on joint multi state research committees to control food borne diseases.
• Supported FSIS with relevant data on Listeria labeling for retail meats

Recommendations for Improving Effectiveness

• Improving communications between USDA partners and stakeholders.
• Focus on new research areas such as:
       *  risk models from farm to table (risk cost trade-offs)
       *  validation of management systems (e.g. Trichina)
       *  real-time methods
       *  technologies for diverse scale of operations
       *  antibiotic resistance including:
                -  quantification of the problem
                -  measure public health impact
                -  measure economic impact
                -  development of alternative approaches/strategies
                -  use multi-discipline scientific teams to increase collaborations among 
                    agriculture and biomedical scientists

GOAL 5:  ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Examples of Effective Collaborative Programs/Activities

• Developed and refined the phosphorus index collaboratively with NRCS. 
• Jointly participated on the USDA Air Quality Task Force. 
• Developed a National Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship Curriculum

 Recommendations for Improving Effectiveness

• Conduct research on mortality management for large mammals routine and large scale biodisasters. 
• Develop tools to measurement air quality, pathogens, nutrients, toxins, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals etc. (real time, accurate, inexpensive, simple). 
• Conduct market research on new and value added products.
• Consider economic feasibility and realities for research outcomes. 
• Determine the role of grazing systems in environmental stewardship. 
• Establish databases for collecting and sharing of information at various stages of validation. 
• Use interdisciplinary/systems approach within the framework of international, national agencies, academia, and industry.

GOAL 6:  PROMOTE ANIMAL WELL-BEING
Examples of Effective Collaborative Programs/Activities

• Conducted collaborative animal care and behavior research through multi-state  committee.
• Conducted collaborative research on stress factors of farm animals through multi-state committee. 
• Animal well-being research jointly conducted by ARS and University scientists at three locations.

Recommendations for Improving Effectiveness

• Develop better scientific measures to assess animal well-being, including pain, stress, and behavioral needs. 
• Assemble a multi-disciplinary team to develop and validate an Index of Animal Well-Being including production, physiology, ethology, immune systems along with a scientific base for measuring pain, stress and distress and a baseline of care. 
• Develop and evaluate production systems on farms of various sizes and management practices that enhance animal well-being.
       -  Certification
       -  Evaluate economic incentives
       -  Discover integrated synergies (food safety, environment)
       -  Train additional scientific personnel with applied animal behavior expertise.
       -  Expand research to include all components of the production system.
       -  Provide greater focus on ethics and systems approach.
       -  Assess the impact of “gate keeping industries reflecting consumer 
           wants” on farm production practices. 

Overarching Themes and Potential Actions to Improve Implementation

1.  Better Communications

• Technology transfer/education
• Involve customer/stakeholder in developing research agenda
• Communication with customer/stakeholder beyond leaders and organizations (to end users)
• Make information databases more user friendly
• Improve awareness and access to information via websites and internet

2.  Whole Systems Approach

• Interdisciplinary approach
• Alternative production system evaluation
• Systems link – animal well-being/animal health/food safety
• Research needs to link inter-relationships
• Multiple locations
• Include/require in request for proposals (Action)
• Explore ways to allow better coordination/cooperation between intramural and extramural research (Action)
• Explore issues of scale in all appropriate research (Action)
• Involve all “partners” customers/stakeholders in process of setting research agenda/implementation/outreach
• Agencies may need to fund some participants (Action)
• Define extension role in outreach delivery mechanisms and translating research to small producers (AMS is the lead agency for USDA working with small and disadvantaged producers.) 
• Build stronger and mutually supportive relationships with sustainable agriculture stakeholders.

3.  Rapid Tests/Measures

• Prompt technology transfer and identify resources (Action)
• Inventory of expertise/capabilities locations, laboratories, scientists, and hazards

4.  Economic Evaluation, Economics/Value of Intervention

• Include economic component in planning and conducting research
• Link to systems approach
• Require in request for proposals (Action)
       -  Identify need for economists to be involved
       -  Identify ways to get economic input in intramural research activities

5. Genomics

• ARS/CSREES develop a plan to expand work in genomics
       -  Build support for work
       -  Broad approach for agriculture genomics
       -  Define potential benefits and outcomes in genomics
       -  Publicize advances and benefits from genomics research
       -  Develop bioinformatics capabilities
       -  Expand partnerships

6.  Multidisciplinary Approach

• Explore ways to train and reward interdisciplinary research
• Explore ways to expose students to working in a multi-disciplinary environment
• Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration

7. Global Trade/Competitiveness

• Develop a science base for international environmental standards and food safety standards

8. Infrastructure Capacity

• Increase training of scientists in needed areas of expertise
• Need for “re-tooling” training (Action)
• Expand/update expertise of scientists
• Compensate higher skill levels/specific specialties
• Interdisciplinary research requires more support (more expensive/longer term). (Action: build understanding and support for it)
• Develop capacity to meet future research needs such as BL 4 facilities

9. Expand Partnerships

• Add industry partnerships
• Engage consumers in research planning
       -  Strengthen partnerships between ARS/CSREES through joint planning,
           budget, and program reviews

Insights on Ways to Enhance Implementation

• May need to better define our customers and stakeholders
• Need to communicate “beyond” the “Leaders” of organizations.
       -  Message often does not get down to “problems”
       -  Publicize “Victories” of Agriculture Research
       -  Need to build support from related agencies
       -  CDC/NIH