W519: Rapid Response to Mitigate Impacts of SARS-CoV-2 Across Food and Agricultural Systems
(Rapid Response to Emerging Issue Activity)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
W519: Rapid Response to Mitigate Impacts of SARS-CoV-2 Across Food and Agricultural Systems
Duration: 05/26/2020 to 05/25/2022
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an immediate impact on the nation’s food and agricultural systems. Scientific research is urgently needed to make sound recommendations on how to mitigate threats from the COVID-19 virus (SARSCoV-2) and ensure the availability of an accessible, safe, nutritious, and abundant food supply, and a healthy environment.
Types of Activities
The proposed Rapid Response Committee will involve interdisciplinary teams with the capacity to address critical cross-cutting issues to protect the food and agriculture supply chain, health and security of livestock, safety of our foods, as well as the well-being of farm, food service providers, and rural Americans. State Agricultural Experiment Stations throughout the Western Region employ scientists who are working rapidly to minimize or eliminate the impacts of COVID-19 on the food and agriculture system. Formation of a Rapid Response Committee would promote multistate coordination to understand: (1) mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 transmission within and between humans and animal species; (2) the nature of protective, as well as permissive, immune responses in humans and animal species; (3) persistence and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 in animal and human wastes and further utilization of the waste; (4) survival, transmission, and elimination of SARS-CoV-2 throughout the food system and food supply chain; (5) how to adjust operations to reduce exposure to, and potential contamination or dispersal of SARS-CoV-2 in food products and throughout the agricultural production system and food supply chain, including strategies to deal with the food waste associated with the pandemic; (6) food security during and after the COVID-19 pandemic; (7) availability of markets and economic security of small- and medium-size producers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic; (8) development of educational materials and training programs for farm workers, food handlers, and consumers to reduce exposure to and potential contamination of food products with SARS-CoV-2; (9) identification of appropriate personal protective equipment, mask materials, and potential reuse of masks by front-line workers, food service providers, and rural residents; (10) deployment of alternative ventilators to rural communities; and (11) development of models that would predict potential and future epidemics and pandemics.
Objectives
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The State Agricultural Experiment Stations in the Western Region propose a Multistate Rapid Response Committee (500 series) to develop and deploy rapid, reliable, and readily adoptable strategies across the food and agriculture enterprise in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Expected Outputs, Outcomes and/or Impacts
The proposed 500 series project is intended to yield integrated solutions to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation’s food and agricultural system.