Committee on Public Affairs Chair Tom Sharkey gave ASPB’s presentation at a stakeholders’ workshop on research priorities in plant and pest biology for the Department of Agriculture Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) on November 14, 2002 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Virginia.

Sharkey’s one-page summary and the summaries of other presenters have been placed on the ASPB web page http://www.aspb.org/publicaffairs/stakeholders/

Approximately 45 people participated primarily from science societies and crop producer groups. The ASPB Committee on Public Affairs and the Public Affairs Office coordinated the workshop for USDA-CSREES. Ed Kaleikau, Liang-Shiou Lin and Anne Vidaver of the USDA National Research Initiative provided ASPB guidance in coordinating the workshop. A grant from USDA-CSREES to ASPB is reimbursing ASPB for costs related to the workshop.

ASPB member R. James Cook, former Committee on Public Affairs member, was the featured luncheon speaker. Cook spoke on meeting the challenge of 21st century agriculture.

The Competitive Programs unit of CSREES is in the process of drafting its five-year plan in the following six priority areas on which stakeholders were asked to comment: Agricultural and Environmental Quality; Agricultural Security; Genomics and Food and Fiber Production; Obesity, Human Nutrition, and Food Science; Food Safety; Rural and Community Development.

The November 14 workshop allowed for input by stakeholders to National Program Leader (NPL) working groups on a timely basis. Input from the workshop was also provided to Interagency Working Group on Plant Genomes (IWG) representatives Ed Kaleikau of USDA, Machi Dilworth of the National Science Foundation and Sharlene Weatherwax of the Department of Energy. The IWG is developing five-year goals for the Plant Genome Research Program.

CSREES officials said they were pleased with the workshop and appreciated ASPB’s contribution. ASPB is continuing to work with the agency concerning follow-up activities from the workshop including printing of a report.