Posted on 03/16/2025 4:27:24 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Two labs at Kansas State University that work on global food security are scheduled to shut down in less than a month because the Trump administration has cut off funding.
K-State will shed about 10 jobs. Abroad, hundreds of low-income students that were recruited to advance sustainable agriculture in their countries will lose funding to go to college.
The two Feed the Future Innovation Labs will close on April 12, K-State announced in a news release. The closures are related to the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID.
The lab was paying for about 275 students in very low-income countries to study agricultural techniques in their countries. This includes 120 undergraduate and 30 master's students in Haiti, and more in Cambodia, Ethiopia and Guatemala.
“ It’s devastating, it’s sad and it’s really heartbreaking,” said professor Vara Prasad, director of the Climate Resilient Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab. “We are talking about students, their dreams, their degrees and the livelihoods of people.”
The students generally are supporting many family members and they were learning valuable techniques to feed their communities. Now Prasad fears they will not have the resources to finish their degrees.
The lab hustled to find a way to continue its work, but the financial burden was too high.
That’s partly because the lab has more than $500 million in unpaid bills because USAID never reimbursed it for work dating back to October.
(Excerpt) Read more at kcur.org ...
The figures in this article imply either gross inaccuracy in the reporting, or gross corruption in the reality.
At the link, the article says USAID has provided $100 million for these labs SINCE 2013. Yet somehow it was soaking up $500 million a QUARTER in 2024. Supposedly the lab/field work supports 275 students in “very low income countries”. Were each third-world student given $3,000 a year (average annual income in Haiti is about $1,700), that would total $825,000 annually. $500 million per quarter is $2 Billion a year. What did the other $1,999,175,000 go for? Overhead? The poor students sure weren’t getting it.
Three things needed immediately: Major criminal investigation/prosecution for fraud/theft. Major recovery of stolen federal funds. Competent journalist for NPR.
They mentioned “sustainable agriculture.” Is this anything like Sri Lanka in 2022, where fertilizers were banned and people went hungry, resulting in the eventual overthrow of the government?
Such a worthwhile project should have no problem finding new benefactors.
The millionaire professors and college administrators could pool their resources.
Are USAID monies being dispensed important enough or impactful enough that we can afford to BORROW this money in order to give it (without oversight) to where it is going, all the while expecting our children and grandchildren to pay it back?
The answer is still a resounding NO.
It's time for the country to STOP being the idiot 'step father' who wants to impress the kids by spending all the family's money left by the deceased father...
“food security” - who comes up with these Orwellian terms?
LOOK UP “THE HEIFER PROJECT”.
Their food insecurity can be fixed real easy - GET A JOB!
Maybe they could have a Bake Sale!
Rush had a very big one in Colorado.
We are heavily in debt
Hope Mr Musk has a new long list ready.
Speed is of the essence
Yeah, no bias; no emotionalism in that article. /s
WHAT IN THE WORLD? Nobody can spend that much money on “sustainable agriculture” labs for 250 students. In a few months If the number is true, then it’s another “gold bars off the Titanic” scenario like with the EPA and Citibank.
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