[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46909-46910]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19132]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture


Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding Assessments 
Focused on Improving Food Aid and Providing Safe Water

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), 
formerly known as the Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
Extension Service (CSREES) requests input from the public regarding (1) 
the assessment of methods and tools used by non-governmental 
organizations and international agencies to measure, characterize and 
describe nutritional gaps among populations served by U.S. humanitarian 
food assistance programs, including recommendations on how to improve 
such programs in the field at the lowest possible cost, and (2) the 
assessment of the most cost-effective technologies for the purification 
and supply of safe water which could be implemented in the field to 
benefit highly vulnerable populations, including recommendations on the 
most cost-effective and commercially available systems that require 
priority research assistance.

DATES: All comments must be received by close of business (5 p.m. EST) 
September 3, 2010, to be considered.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by [2010-0003] by any of 
the following methods to the NIFA Docket Clerk; and electronic 
submissions are preferred:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    E-mail: [email protected]. Include [2010-0003] in the subject 
line of the message.
    Fax: (202) 690-2355.
    Hand Delivery/Courier: FANEP; Science and Education Resources 
Development (SERD) Unit, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 3322 Waterfront Centre, 800 9th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20024.
    Mailing Address: FANEP; Science and Education Resources Development 
(SERD) Unit, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 2203, 
Washington, DC 20250-2203.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and the [2010-0003] for this rulemaking. A summary of the results 
obtained from the responses to this request for information will be 
available to the public on the Web site http://www.regulations.gov, and 
may include any personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Edwin Lewis, International Program 
Leader, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 2203, Washington, DC 
20250-2203, Phone: (202) 720-3801.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 46910]]

Background

    The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), established 
in Section 7511 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. 
L. 110-246), serves the nation's needs by supporting exemplary 
research, education, and extension that address many challenges facing 
the nation. NIFA works with scientists at universities and colleges 
throughout the United States and around the world to find innovative 
solutions to critical issues facing rural communities and American 
consumers including global food security and hunger, climate change, 
sustainable energy, childhood obesity and food safety.
    Section 724 of Title VII, General Provisions, in the Agriculture, 
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies 
Programs Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-80) provided $4 million 
to the Secretary of Agriculture to award grant(s) to develop and field 
test new food products designed to improve the nutritional delivery of 
humanitarian food assistance provided through the McGovern-Dole 
(section 3107 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 
U.S.C. 1736o-1)) and the Food for Peace title II (7 U.S.C. 1691 et 
seq.) programs.
    Senate Report 111-39, which accompanies Pub. L. 111-80, states in 
Title I, Agricultural Programs, Production, Processing, and Marketing, 
Office of the Secretary:

    The Committee is aware of significant advances in food science 
and technology that should be utilized to cost-effectively improve 
products beneficial for use in food assistance programs and the 
Secretary is directed, acting through the Undersecretary for 
Research, Education, and Economics, to carry out a grants program to 
better incorporate those and other advances as part of McGovern-Dole 
and Food for Peace title II programs. The report continues, that the 
Secretary is encouraged, through the authorities of the Research, 
Education, and Economics mission area, to conduct assessments of 
methods and tools used by non-governmental organizations and 
international agencies to assess nutritional gaps among populations 
served by U.S. humanitarian food assistance programs with 
recommendations on how to improve such programs in the field at the 
lowest possible cost. The Secretary should also undertake an 
assessment on the most cost-effective technologies for the 
purification and supply of safe water which could be implemented in 
the field to benefit these highly vulnerable populations and to make 
recommendations on the most cost-effective and commercially 
available systems that require priority research assistance.

Invitation To Comment

    As one step in conducting the assessments on Improving Food Aid and 
Providing Safe Water, NIFA is soliciting input from interested 
stakeholders on the following questions. Comments received will be 
considered as the assessment reports are developed. NIFA will not 
endorse particular products or approaches, and will focus its 
assessments on the steps that are needed for improving existing methods 
and technologies, or for developing new methods and technologies.
    Respondents may address as many of the following questions as they 
wish.

Assessing Nutritional Gaps

    1. What methods and tools do non-governmental organizations and 
international agencies use to assess nutritional gaps in populations 
that are served by U.S. international food aid programs?
    2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of those methods and 
tools?
    3. How could such methods and tools be made more reliable, 
informative and cost-effective?
    4. What additional laboratory or field-based research and 
development is needed to improve such methods and tools?
    5. What innovations and/or studies could lead to significant future 
improvements in such methods and tools?

Assessing Safe Water Technologies

    1. What are the most effective and cost-efficient, commercially 
available water purification and supply technologies for serving the 
safe water needs of vulnerable populations in developing countries?
    2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of currently available 
water purification and supply technologies?
    3. What improvements are needed to make currently available water 
purification and supply technologies more reliable and cost effective?
    4. What additional laboratory or field-based research and 
development is needed to improve such technologies?
    5. What significant innovations in water purification and supply 
technologies are underway?

    Done at Washington, DC, on July 29, 2010.
Roger N. Beachy,
Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2010-19132 Filed 8-3-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P