The Trump administration's restructuring of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has forced the closure of agricultural research laboratories at land-grant universities across 13 states, including significant impacts at Penn State University, according to lab directors.
These closures represent another setback for U.S. agriculture resulting from President Trump's federal government overhaul, disrupting research aimed at advancing seed and equipment technology and developing international markets for American commodities.
Research Network Halted
The network consists of 17 laboratories funded through USAID's Feed the Future Innovation Labs program. These labs conducted research in partnership with countries including Malawi, Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Rwanda.
The research benefits American farmers by developing agricultural practices that can be applied domestically and by providing early warnings about potential pest threats.
"It really reduces our capacity to help farmers fight pests and diseases and help American farmers prevent incursions," explained David Hughes, director of the USAID Innovation Lab on Current and Emerging Threats to Crops at Penn State University, which has been particularly hard-hit by the cuts.
Widespread Impact
All 17 labs received stop-work orders in late January following President Trump's freeze on most foreign aid. Lab directors report they have not received additional guidance or responses to inquiries from the State Department, which oversees USAID.
The impact in Pennsylvania has been severe and immediate:
Penn State's Innovation Lab on Current and Emerging Threats to Crops has been forced to suspend multiple research projects, including one studying the viral disease affecting banana crops in Tanzania mentioned by Hughes
The university's College of Agricultural Sciences has had to place 27 researchers and technical staff on furlough
Three graduate student research programs focusing on sustainable agriculture practices have lost funding
The Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management Program, which had international components funded through USAID, has had to scale back monitoring for invasive species
Dr. Steven Roberts, Associate Dean for Research at Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, noted that the university is attempting to find alternative funding but faces significant challenges. "These are specialized research programs with international components that can't easily be replaced with domestic funding sources. The impacts will ripple through Pennsylvania agriculture for years to come."
Economic Impact on Pennsylvania Farmers
These research disruptions are expected to have significant financial implications for Pennsylvania farmers specifically:
Penn State's USAID Innovation Lab on Current and Emerging Threats to Crops, now suspended, was developing early detection systems for spotted lanternfly and other invasive pests threatening Pennsylvania's $14 billion agricultural industry
The university's mushroom research program, partly funded through USAID partnerships, supported Pennsylvania's $1.2 billion mushroom industry which produces over 60% of all mushrooms in the United States
Research supporting Pennsylvania's dairy industry, already struggling with market challenges, has been interrupted mid-study
Market development programs that had opened new export opportunities for Pennsylvania specialty crops and value-added dairy products have been scaled back
Agricultural economists at Penn State estimate that the long-term impact could reduce farm profitability by 5-7% annually for Pennsylvania's key agricultural sectors, with dairy, mushrooms, and apple producers particularly affected.
"Pennsylvania agriculture is deeply interconnected with international research and markets," said Dr. Michael Berger, agricultural economist at Penn State. "Our dairy farmers, mushroom growers, and apple producers rely on innovations that come from these research partnerships to stay competitive in an increasingly challenging market."
Broader Agricultural Disruptions
This is part of a pattern of disruptions affecting U.S. agriculture under the current administration:
Tens of millions of dollars in U.S. commodity purchases were temporarily halted after the January 24 order freezing foreign aid
Farmers nationwide report not receiving payments from federal farm programs under Trump's directive to freeze federal loans and grants (which has been challenged in court)
Market development programs that helped open foreign markets to U.S. agricultural products have been scaled back
The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau estimates these combined disruptions could reduce net farm income by 8-11% for many Pennsylvania producers already dealing with tight margins, labor shortages, and increasing land development pressures in many agricultural regions of the state.