Global Food Systems Institute UF IFAS

10/19/2026

10/15/2026

We are proud to be featured in the October issue of Explore Magazine UF Research, "Harvesting Solutions". Discover four innovative projects led by our dedicated faculty and see how their research is shaping a more sustainable future

In the drylands north of Nairobi, Kenya, an invasive cactus is rewriting the ecology of the historical rangelands of the Maasai people. The prickly pear cactus has spread across overgrazed lands, crowding out vital grasses and evading eradication.  But where others see a scourge, UF agronomist Jose...

10/06/2026

Ambassador Lynda Blanchard, U.S. Permanent Representative to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations Agencies in Rome, recently visited the University of Florida to meet with University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences leadership and learn more about the university’s global engagement in agriculture, food systems, and international development.

We’re also pleased that Ambassador Blanchard accepted our invitation to deliver a keynote address at the Future of Food Forum 2027: The Next Harvest!

The visit provided an opportunity to discuss UF/IFAS and GFSI’s ongoing and recent collaborations with UN agencies and explore opportunities for continued partnership.

Thank you, Ambassador Blanchard, for your visit! We look forward to continuing these conversations and to strengthening connections across the global food systems community.

10/02/2026

GFSI Director and associate vice president Adegbola Adesogan, Dr. Diwakar Vyas, associate professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, and Dr. Marcelo Wallau, associate professor and associate program leader for Agriculture and Horticulture, examine emerging innovations that could transform silage production and feeding systems by 2050.

The review, Challenges and Future Perspectives in Forage Production and Silage Making for Climate-Resilient Systems in a Global Context, has just been published in the Journal of Dairy Science!

The paper explores how precision technologies, alternative forage resources, novel additives, and sustainable management practices can improve silage quality, feed safety, animal performance, and resilience. Emerging tools such as artificial intelligence, sensors, drones, spectroscopy, and automated systems could enable more precise monitoring and management throughout the silage production process.

This work highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to develop scalable, resilient, and sustainable technologies for future livestock production systems.

Read the paper!
🔗 https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(26)03281-9/fulltext

09/22/2026

The Global Food Systems Institute invites researchers, educators, Extension professionals, students, industry leaders, nonprofits and government partners to submit proposals for:
🎤 Oral presentations
📌 Posters
💬 Discussion sessions
🛠️ Interactive workshops

Topics include youth innovation, resilient food systems, AI and agricultural technology, workforce development, food security, sustainable agriculture, Extension, education, policy and cross-sector partnerships.

Student and early-career submissions are strongly encouraged!

Deadline: October 8, 2026

Submit your abstract and help shape the next generation of food and agricultural leaders!

*Abstracts should be prepared as Microsoft Word or PDF files. Submissions should be completed online at: https://lnkd.in/epbHsiMJ *

09/16/2026

🤝 Exploring a strategic partnership to advance agricultural innovation in Egypt.

From August 22–29, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences delegation led by Dr. J. Scott Angle, Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources, visited Egypt to explore collaboration with the Future of Egypt Authority for Sustainable Development and Agriventure.

The delegation included Dr. Adegbola Adesogan, GFSI’s Director and Associate Vice President; Dr. Norma Samuel, Associate Director for GFSI Extension; and Dr. Vijaya Gopal Kakani, Associate Director for GFSI Research.

The proposed partnership would connect UF/IFAS research, education, Extension, and workforce development with Egypt’s agricultural infrastructure and private-sector expertise to advance precision agriculture, AI, digital farming, technology transfer, food security, and sustainable production. 🌱

The delegation also toured the Authority’s New Delta and Lahun projects, learning about technologies being used to improve production efficiency and resource use.

📸 Photos courtesy of Menassat News

09/04/2026

GFSI joined University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to visit agricultural and research facilities in Egypt. They explored opportunities to strengthen partnerships in agriculture, technology, research, and innovation.

We’re proud to see UF/IFAS building connections that help advance solutions to global food systems challenges. 🌱

08/31/2026

August 31, 2026, marks the end of the Precision Livestock Farming Technologies Evaluation in Africa Project

During this 3-year project, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty and researchers from The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) tested the suitability of two technologies for the Tanzanian context.

On August 27 & 28, the project team hosted a close-out and results-sharing event in Arusha, Tanzania.

Professor Susana Agostino, Acting Vice Chancellor at NM-AIST, opened the event, and Dr. Benezeth Lutege Malinda, Director of Veterinary Services at the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, was the guest of honor, representing Miss Agnes Kisaka Meena, Permanent Secretary for the livestock sector at the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Tanzania. The UF team involved in this project included: principal investigator, Dr. Geoffrey Dahl, professor in the Animal Sciences Department, Dr. Saskia Hendrickx, scientist in the Animal Sciences Department, Dr. Diwakar Vyas, associate professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, and Dr. Gregory A. Kiker, professor and chair of the Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering.

Other participants included farmers, NGO representatives, researchers, and input providers.

Learn more about the project on our website! https://foodsystems.ifas.ufl.edu/our-work/project-websites/precision-livestock-farming-tanzania/

08/26/2026

🔬New Publication!

The paper, Control of Regulated and Emerging Silage Mycotoxins, has just been published in the Journal of Dairy Science! GFSI's Research Assistants Temitope Adeoti and Dr.Atia Bonna and Director and Associate Vice President Adegbola Adesogan collaborated with the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (CattolicaNews)
to examine the occurrence, sources, detection, and mitigation strategies for both regulated and emerging mycotoxins in silage-based dairy systems.

Mycotoxins are natural, toxic chemical compounds produced by certain molds and fungi that can contaminate agricultural commodities, such as crops and forages used in livestock feed. This review examines mycotoxins in silage-based dairy systems and mitigation strategies during ensiling and storage.

This work addresses GFSI’s commitment to enhancing the nutrition, health, and livelihoods of global citizens and the environment.

Read the paper here! https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030226032054?via%3Dihub