[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 176 (Thursday, September 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55812-55813]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20020]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. USDA-2020-0008]


Innovative Technologies and Practices for the Agriculture 
Innovation Agenda

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Request for written stakeholder input.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 
requesting comments and suggestions on the most innovative technologies 
and practices that can be readily deployed across U.S. agriculture to 
meet USDA's goal of increasing agricultural production by 40 percent to 
meet the needs of the global population in 2050 while cutting the 
environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half. This effort is a 
part of USDA's Agriculture Innovation Agenda (AIA), USDA's commitment 
to the continued success of American farmers, ranchers, foresters, and 
producers in the face of current and future challenges. Note: 
Technologies and practices that have potential to address these AIA 
goals, but that need substantial development or research before 
deployment, were captured in the recent USDA request for written 
stakeholder input published in the Federal Register on April 1, 2020, 
and open for comment until August 1st, 2020.

DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by November 9, 2020. 
Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent 
practicable.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. You may 
submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=USDA-2020-0003 and follow the instructions 
for submitting comments.
     Mail: Diane Gelburd, Ph.D.; Deputy Chief for Science and 
Technology, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Room 5113, 
South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250. In 
your comment, specify the docket ID USDA-2020-0008.
    Comments will be available for viewing online at 
www.regulations.gov. Comments received will be posted without change, 
including any personal information provided. In addition, comments will 
be available for public inspection at the above address during business 
hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Gelburd; (202) 720-4527; or 
email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) recognizes that there have been dramatic advances in 
agricultural production efficiency and conservation performance over 
the past two decades. As part of the Agriculture Innovation Agenda 
(AIA), to assist farmers in

[[Page 55813]]

accessing and adopting new approaches, USDA requests input on the most 
innovative technologies, practices, and management tools that can be 
readily deployed through one or more USDA programs. Recommended 
approaches should enable the U.S. agriculture industry to meet USDA's 
goal to increase agricultural production by 40 percent to meet the 
needs of the global population in 2050 while cutting the environmental 
footprint of U.S. agriculture in half.
    USDA implements a range of programs including, but not limited to:
     Farm Service Agency programs (for example, the 
Conservation Reserve Program);
     Natural Resources and Conservation Service programs (for 
example, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program);
     Risk Management Agency crop insurance programs; and
     Rural Development community infrastructure and energy 
programs.
    Each of these programs are well positioned to leverage ``ready to 
go'' technologies, practices, and management approaches to benefit 
farmers, consumers, and the environment in support of the AIA goals.
    Through this notice, USDA's goal is to identify the best ``ready to 
go'' innovations, as well as request input on how to best incorporate 
these innovations into USDA programs and accelerate their adoption. 
Input is requested from a range of stakeholders including, but not 
limited to: Private sector, not for profits, farmers, forest sector, 
trade associations, commodity boards, and others involved in the supply 
chain or development of widely applicable practices, management 
approaches, or technologies (for example, robotics, applications and 
end use tools, in-field management activities). For the purpose of this 
notice, ``ready to go'' means a practice, technology, or management 
approach that is fully developed, has been field tested, has completed 
independent research trials, is publicly available, and end-user 
accessible. Submissions will be most helpful if they include reference 
citations or website links to research, on-farm trials, end-user group 
evaluation or other supporting documentation that the product is 
``ready to go'' and has already been reviewed by the scientific or 
other appropriate community.
    To aid in submission of comments, we request responses to the 
following questions on the types of innovative technologies, practices, 
and management approaches that USDA may want to consider for 
integration and deployment in USDA programs, as well as the best ways 
to integrate these into program delivery. For the purpose of this 
notice, ``innovation'' means any idea, practice, or object that is 
perceived as new or generally has low adoption, and when judged as a 
whole has the following characteristics: \1\
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    \1\ This list of characteristics was Adapted from Rogers, E.M. 
(1962). Diffusion of Innovation Theory.
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     A relative advantage (efficiencies gained by the 
innovation relative to current tools or procedures),
     Is compatible with the pre-existing system,
     Can or has been be trialed or tested,
     Produces observed effects or is effective,
     Has potential for reinvention (that is, using the tool for 
initially unintended purpose), or
     May be complex or difficult to learn.
    When providing responses to this notice, please provide the 
following information where they apply:
    1. What is the innovation, how does it meet the AIA goals, and how 
could it demonstrate significant gains in agricultural productivity, 
significant reductions in U.S. agriculture's environmental footprint, 
or both?
    2. How does the innovation target one or more of the following 
areas?
     Agricultural Productivity: Increase agricultural 
production by 40 percent by 2050 to meet estimated future demand.
     Food Loss and Waste: Advance our work toward the United 
States' goal to reduce food loss and waste by 50 percent in the United 
States by the year 2030, from the 2010 baseline.
     Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gases: Enhance carbon 
sequestration through soil health (that is, terrestrial sequestration) 
and forestry, leverage the agricultural sector's renewable energy 
benefits for the economy, and capitalize on innovative technologies and 
practices to achieve net reduction of the agricultural sector's current 
carbon footprint by 2050.
     Water Quality: Reduce nutrient loss by 30 percent 
nationally by 2050.
     Renewable Energy: Increase the production of renewable 
energy feedstocks and increase biofuel production efficiency and 
competitiveness to achieve market-driven blend rates of 15 percent of 
transportation fuels in 2030 and 30 percent of transportation fuels by 
2050.
    3. How ``ready to go'' and adoptable is the innovation based on the 
following?
     Relative Advantage. The degree to which an innovation is 
seen as better than the idea, program, or product it replaces for 
increasing agricultural productivity or decreasing agriculture's 
environmental footprint, in either efficiency or effectiveness.
     Compatibility: How consistent the innovation is with the 
values, experiences, and needs of the potential adopters.
     Complexity: How difficult the innovation is to understand, 
use, or both.
     Transferability: The extent to which the innovation can be 
adopted or can be easily made adoptable.
     Observability. The extent to which the innovation provides 
tangible results.
    4. If you are familiar with USDA programs, which USDA program(s) 
could the innovation be deployed through and how could it be reasonably 
integrated into that program in a way that will move the agricultural 
industry beyond its current state?
    5. How could USDA support the deployment and adoption of the 
innovation in the field and what barriers to adoption do you think USDA 
can help overcome?
    6. Are there specific ways that USDA programs are inadvertently 
hindering adoption of innovative technologies and, if so, how can USDA 
alleviate those barriers?
    7. If you are presently working with USDA on this innovation, how 
is USDA already supporting its deployment and adoption?
    Stakeholder input will inform USDA as it works to develop and 
execute a comprehensive ``ready to go'' technology strategy, including 
rapid deployment of the top technologies, practices, and management 
approaches that will enable U.S. farmers, ranchers, and natural 
resource managers to help meet global food, fiber, fuel, feed, and 
environmental demands.

    Note:  Technologies and practices that have potential to address 
these AIA goals, but need substantial development or research before 
deployment, should have been captured in the recent USDA request for 
written stakeholder input, titled ``Solicitation of Input From 
Stakeholders on Agricultural Innovations,'' which was published in 
the Federal Register on April 1, 2020 (85 FR 18185) (https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=USDA-2020-0003). Comments to that 
request were due on August 1, 2020.


Stephen Censky,
Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2020-20020 Filed 9-9-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-90-P