Mississippi State University will lead a new $15 million U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) initiative that continues efforts to reduce poverty and improve health outcomes for global populations dependent on aquaculture-led economies.

USAID funding over five years will create the "Feed the Future Innovation Lab on Fish," which Mississippi State will lead through the university’s Global Center for Aquatic Food Security under the direction of Mark Lawrence, associate dean and professor in Mississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

University president Mark E. Keenum called the new USAID partnership “groundbreaking” and said the university is “well-positioned to lead this important effort.”

“Our relationship with USAID is a long and fruitful one that underscores Mississippi State’s position as a leading agricultural research university,” Keenum said. “It also speaks specifically to the quality of research and scholarship in our College of Veterinary Medicine.”

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab on Fish is an interdisciplinary program aimed at reducing poverty and improving nutrition, food security and livelihoods among stakeholders in targeted regions. The lab is not a specific site, but a mechanism through which academic, private and public partners can identify solutions for global challenges, the announcement said.

Known as the Fish Innovation Lab, the project will implement integrated aquaculture and fisheries programs in developing countries. Fish are rich in critical micronutrients and are among the most traded agricultural commodities in the world, but more research is needed on ways developing countries can maximize this global resource for the health and economic growth of their populations, according to Mississippi State.

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab on Fish will conduct research focusing on improved production, reducing and mitigating risk to fish production systems and improving human outcomes.

“Being successful in the competition to lead the USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish is reflective of the many years faculty from several Mississippi State colleges have worked on fish health and production issues,” said Kent Hoblet, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “I look forward to seeing the impact that Mississippi State and our College of Veterinary Medicine will have on reducing hunger and improving lives in the developing countries where the program will take us.”

The university said the initial focus for project activities will be on regions deemed priority areas for aquaculture and fisheries development by the Feed the Future and USAID: West Africa, East Africa, and Asia. Initial work will take place at the local level to develop best practices that can be scaled to national and regional levels.

“The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish is an important part of Mississippi State’s overall strategy to provide leadership in providing solutions for global food security and livelihoods in priority countries,” Lawrence said. “The College of Veterinary Medicine is proud to contribute expertise to help lead this program.”

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish utilizes a “Leader with Associates” model, through which Mississippi State will facilitate associate awards to research and development partners. As the lead and management entity, the university said it will identify and manage a portfolio of investments for research and development activities that address both promising innovations and emerging challenges in aquaculture and fisheries through an integrated approach of blending multiple disciplines.

As a platform for innovation, the project will connect the expertise and capacity of a consortium of public and private organizations, government research agencies, non-governmental organizations, domestic and international universities, as well as small farm associations within the target countries.

Mississippi State is recognized as a Center for Knowledge for Aquatic Health by the World Food Program and the U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization. The university’s Global Center for Aquatic Food Security works to addresses challenges facing aquaculture and find solutions to meeting the world’s food security needs while ensuring a safe supply of seafood.