12 2 STA T . 2 0 0 9PUBLIC LA W 110 – 2 46—J U NE 1 8, 2008 SEC.7406 . AGRI C ULT URE A NDFO OD RESEARC H INITIATI V E. (a)INGE NE RAL.—Subsection (b) o f t h e C o mp etiti v e , Specia l , an dF acilities R esea r ch Grant A ct( 7U .S.C. 450 i(b)) is amended to read as follo w s
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‘(b) A G R ICU L T URE AN D F O OD RE S EARC H INITIATI V E.— ‘‘( 1 ) E STA B LISH M ENT.— T here is established in the D epart - ment of A g riculture an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative under which the Secretar y of Agriculture (referred to in this subsection as ‘the Secretary ’ )mayma k e competitive grants for fundamental and applied research, e x tension, and education to address food and agricultural sciences (as defined under section 1404 of the N ational Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching P olicy Act of 1 9 77 (7 U.S.C. 3 103)). ‘‘( 2 ) PRIORIT Y AREAS.—The competitive grants program established under this subsection shall address the following areas: ‘‘(A) PLANT HEALTH AND P RODUCTION AND PLANT PROD- UCTS.—Plant systems, including— ‘‘(i) plant genome structure and function
‘‘(ii) molecular and cellular genetics and plant bio- technology; ‘‘(iii) conventional breeding, including cultivar and breed development, selection theory, applied q uan- titative genetics, breeding for improved food quality, breeding for improved local adaptation to biotic stress and abiotic stress, and participatory breeding; ‘‘(iv) plant-pest interactions and biocontrol sys- tems; ‘‘(v) crop plant response to environmental stresses; ‘‘(vi) unproved nutrient qualities of plant products; and ‘‘(vii) new food and industrial uses of plant prod- ucts. ‘‘( B ) ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS.—Animal systems, including— ‘‘(i) aquaculture; ‘‘(ii) cellular and molecular basis of animal repro- duction, growth, disease, and health; ‘‘(iii) animal biotechnology; ‘‘(iv) conventional breeding, including breed development, selection theory, applied quantitative genetics, breeding for improved food quality, breeding for improved local adaptation to biotic stress and abi- otic stress, and participatory breeding; ‘‘(v) identification of genes responsible for improved production traits and resistance to disease; ‘‘(vi) improved nutritional performance of animals; ‘‘(vii) improved nutrient qualities of animal prod- ucts and uses; and ‘‘(viii) the development of new and improved animal husbandry and production systems that take into account production efficiency, animal well-being, and animal systems applicable to aquaculture. ‘‘(C) FOOD SA F ETY, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH.—Nutrition, food safety and quality, and health, including— ‘‘(i) microbial contaminants and pesticides residue relating to human health;
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