The University of Florida has been selected by the U.S. Department of State to lead the new Feed the Future Innovation Lab for High-Value Crops — SAFE (Safeguarding Agriculture, Food and Economy).

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the SAFE Lab will protect the fruits, vegetables and spices that feed American families and sustain smallholder farmers worldwide. The UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences-led SAFE lab will help detect and contain crop pests and diseases overseas before they threaten Florida and American farms, while advancing postharvest practices that reduce food losses, improve food safety and
expand access to nutritious food.

Led by UF/IFAS, the SAFE Lab will work in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic — countries that supply produce to U.S. markets and where crop pests and diseases may first appear.

Karen Garrett, Ph.D., director of the newly formed SAFE Lab and professor in the UF/IFAS Department of Plant Pathology, said Florida knows what is at stake. Imported plants and seeds can carry pests and diseases that threaten growers in the United States.

The scale of the challenge is substantial, she said. In 2024 alone, U.S. inspectors University of Florida to lead new Feed the Future Innovation Lab for High-Value Crops intercepted around 1,800 quarantine-significant pests among 1.8 billion imported plant units and seeds. Border inspection alone cannot be the only line of defense.

“Our food supply in the U.S. and that of our partner countries is safest if we stop crop pests and diseases at the source, before they ever reach our fields,” said Garrett, a global expert in plant biosecurity and risk analysis. “SAFE supports the smallholder farmers and organizations that deal with these threats first.”

SAFE draws on the full breadth of UF/IFAS, collaborating with multiple academic departments and Research and Education Centers across Florida.

The work will comprise coordinated efforts in plant pathology, entomology, breeding, crop modeling, sustainable intensification, food safety and nutrition. By improving plant breeding and crop protection programs for high-value fruits and vegetables, food science and technology for global nutrition programs, and farmer-to-market connections, a more resilient, sustainable and safe food system can be developed.

“UF/IFAS is committed to protecting the American food supply,” said Scott Angle, UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of UF/IFAS.

“Playing defense is not enough. We need to work with international partners to detect pest and disease threats so we can intervene before those threats arrive here. The State Department’s support will allow us to do that worldwide.”

SAFE Key Activities:

• Early warning: A new SAFE Biosecurity Network of plant protection
institutions will use AI and crop models to produce risk maps and farmer
advisories.

• Diagnostics: Affordable field tests and village plant health clinics will enhance disease identification and reporting.

• Resistant varieties: Develop threat-informed breeding of high-value crops that are not only nutritious but also generate cash for farmers and the country.

• Post harvest, food safety and nutrition: Advance affordable postharvest

practices to reduce losses, improve safety, preserve nutrients and help
households access and consume nutrient-rich produce.

• Markets: Use market intelligence, stronger buyer relationships and strategies to address trade barriers to expand opportunities for smallholders and agribusinesses in domestic, regional and U.S.-linked markets.

• SAFE Academy: Strengthen workforce and institutional capacity through
practical training, mentoring, and entrepreneurship support, so local experts can sustain and scale agricultural innovations.

“UF/IFAS was proud to lead the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems from 2015 to 2025, and we are honored to serve as the initial convening platform of the SAFE lab,” said Gbola Adesogan, director of UF/IFAS Global Food Systems Institute.

“This is a major recognition of the leadership and expertise within UF/IFAS.”

The SAFE leadership also includes associate director Juan E. Andrade, PhD., from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, who leads nutrition, food safety, postharvest and value-chain work. Associate director for operations Nargiza Ludgate, Ph.D., from the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, oversees operations and subawards as well as workforce development and private sector engagement. Mathews Paret, Ph.D., from the Department of Plant Pathology, leads the SAFE Biosecurity Network.

“The SAFE Biosecurity Network will convene organizations that support early detection and monitoring of emerging pests and diseases, identify priorities for research and training, and promote proactive strategies to strengthen crop biosecurity,” Paret said. “Safeguarding the food supply in the U.S. increases our security and that of our partners.”