June 2025
By J. Scott Angle
[email protected]
@IFAS_VP
Scientific work we do in Mexico and Ethiopia helps farmers in Suwannee Valley, the Everglades Agricultural Area and Southwest Florida.
In the short term, work abroad is our first line of defense against pests and disease. The hope is to stop invaders like the Asian citrus psyllid before they get to Florida.
The most concerning threat from abroad at the moment is the New World screwworm, cases of which have surged in parts of Central America and Mexico.
So, it was timely that UF/IFAS hosted a recent meeting and symposium of scientists and agriculture ministers organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture. The IICA will fund New World screwworm control and eradication in Mexico, in partnership with the government there.
Our entomologists, animal science faculty, College of Veterinarian Medicine and UF/IFAS administration are engaged with the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, the Florida Farm Bureau, members of Congress, the agriculture commissioner, and international colleagues to strategize how to prevent the screwworm’s spread and how to respond if it does.
Strong international agricultural alliances matter, which is why I lament the recent closure of our Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems due to halted federal funding.
When Florida farmers feed the world, they help prevent instability, radicalization and terrorism linked to food scarcity.
What may seem like a handout—helping small farmers in Africa—ultimately benefits America’s farmers. Efficient agriculture in developing nations creates consumers who buy U.S. products. History proves this: 11 of the top 15 U.S. trading partners were former aid recipients, according to the nonpartisan Atlantic Council.
Florida is positioned for huge opportunity in agricultural exports to growing markets. Most population growth in the next 25 years will be in developing nations, where the ability to purchase U.S. goods will depend on agricultural success. If Florida farming is to thrive for future generations, we must ensure global markets exist for our crops.
Our biggest advantage is we have the most productive farmers in the world – that’s you — who get the earliest access to innovation from their land-grant university.
We appreciate your support and your partnership. Everything we do at UF/IFAS, whether it’s in Avon Park or Addis Ababa, is with your profitability and prospects in mind.
J. Scott Angle is the University of Florida’s Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources and leader of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).