Innovative Technologies and Practices for the Agriculture Innovation Agenda, 55812-55813 [2020-20020]
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Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 85, No. 176
Thursday, September 10, 2020
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
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examples of documents appearing in this
section.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of the Secretary
Fiscal Year 2020 Raw Cane Sugar
Tariff-Rate Quota Increase and
Extension of Entry Period
Office of the Secretary,
Agriculture Department (USDA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Office of the Secretary of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (the
Secretary) is providing notice of an
increase in the fiscal year (FY) 2020 raw
cane sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ) of
90,718 metric tons raw value (MTRV)
and an extension of the TRQ entry
period.
SUMMARY:
The TRQ increase and extension
of entry period go into effect September
10, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Multilateral Affairs
Division, Trade Policy and Geographic
Affairs, Foreign Agricultural Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop
1070, 1400 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20250–1070.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Souleymane Diaby, (202) 720–2916,
Souleymane.Diaby@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June
27, 2019, the Secretary established the
FY 2020 TRQ for raw cane sugar at
1,117,195 MTRV, the minimum to
which the United States is committed
under the World Trade Organization
(WTO) Uruguay Round Agreements.
Pursuant to Additional U.S. Note 5 to
Chapter 17 of the U.S. Harmonized
Tariff Schedule (HTS) and Section 359k
of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of
1938, as amended, the Secretary has
authority to modify the raw and refined
sugar WTO TRQs. On April 3, 2020, the
Secretary increased the FY 2020 TRQ
for raw sugar by 317,515 MTRV. The
Secretary gives notice today of an
increase in the quantity of raw cane
sugar eligible to enter at the lower rate
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of duty during FY 2020 by 90,718
MTRV. The conversion factor is 1 metric
ton raw value equals 1.10231125 short
tons raw value. With this increase, the
overall FY 2020 raw sugar TRQ is now
1,525,428 MTRV. Raw cane sugar under
this quota must be accompanied by a
certificate for quota eligibility. The
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
(USTR) will allocate this increase
among supplying countries and customs
areas.
The Secretary also today announces
that all sugar entering the United States
under the FY 2020 raw sugar TRQ will
be permitted to enter U.S. Customs
territory through October 31, 2020, a
month later than the usual last entry
date. Additional U.S. Note 5(a)(iv) of
Chapter 17 of the Harmonized Tariff
Schedule of the United States provides:
‘‘(iv) Sugar entering the United States
during a quota period established under
this note may be charged to the previous
or subsequent quota period with the
written approval of the Secretary.’’
These actions are being taken after a
determination that additional supplies
of raw cane sugar are required in the
U.S. market. USDA will closely monitor
stocks, consumption, imports and all
sugar market and program variables on
an ongoing basis and may make further
program adjustments during FY 2020 if
needed.
Ted A. McKinney,
Under Secretary, Trade and Foreign
Agricultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2020–20065 Filed 9–8–20; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410–10–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. USDA–2020–0008]
Innovative Technologies and Practices
for the Agriculture Innovation Agenda
Office of the Secretary,
Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Request for written stakeholder
input.
AGENCY:
The United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) is requesting
comments and suggestions on the most
innovative technologies and practices
that can be readily deployed across U.S.
agriculture to meet USDA’s goal of
increasing agricultural production by 40
SUMMARY:
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Frm 00001
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
percent to meet the needs of the global
population in 2050 while cutting the
environmental footprint of U.S.
agriculture in half. This effort is a part
of USDA’s Agriculture Innovation
Agenda (AIA), USDA’s commitment to
the continued success of American
farmers, ranchers, foresters, and
producers in the face of current and
future challenges. Note: Technologies
and practices that have potential to
address these AIA goals, but that need
substantial development or research
before deployment, were captured in the
recent USDA request for written
stakeholder input published in the
Federal Register on April 1, 2020, and
open for comment until August 1st,
2020.
We will consider comments that
we receive by November 9, 2020.
Comments received after that date will
be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit
comments on this notice. You may
submit comments by either of the
following methods:
• Federal Rulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov/
docket?D=USDA-2020-0003 and follow
the instructions for submitting
comments.
• Mail: Diane Gelburd, Ph.D.; Deputy
Chief for Science and Technology,
USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service; Room 5113, South Building,
1400 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20250. In your
comment, specify the docket ID USDA–
2020–0008.
Comments will be available for
viewing online at www.regulations.gov.
Comments received will be posted
without change, including any personal
information provided. In addition,
comments will be available for public
inspection at the above address during
business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except
holidays.
DATES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Diane Gelburd; (202) 720–4527; or email
diane.gelburd@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) recognizes that there have been
dramatic advances in agricultural
production efficiency and conservation
performance over the past two decades.
As part of the Agriculture Innovation
Agenda (AIA), to assist farmers in
E:\FR\FM\10SEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 176 / Thursday, September 10, 2020 / Notices
accessing and adopting new approaches,
USDA requests input on the most
innovative technologies, practices, and
management tools that can be readily
deployed through one or more USDA
programs. Recommended approaches
should enable the U.S. agriculture
industry to meet USDA’s goal to
increase agricultural production by 40
percent to meet the needs of the global
population in 2050 while cutting the
environmental footprint of U.S.
agriculture in half.
USDA implements a range of
programs including, but not limited to:
• Farm Service Agency programs (for
example, the Conservation Reserve
Program);
• Natural Resources and Conservation
Service programs (for example, the
Environmental Quality Incentives
Program);
• Risk Management Agency crop
insurance programs; and
• Rural Development community
infrastructure and energy programs.
Each of these programs are well
positioned to leverage ‘‘ready to go’’
technologies, practices, and
management approaches to benefit
farmers, consumers, and the
environment in support of the AIA
goals.
Through this notice, USDA’s goal is to
identify the best ‘‘ready to go’’
innovations, as well as request input on
how to best incorporate these
innovations into USDA programs and
accelerate their adoption. Input is
requested from a range of stakeholders
including, but not limited to: Private
sector, not for profits, farmers, forest
sector, trade associations, commodity
boards, and others involved in the
supply chain or development of widely
applicable practices, management
approaches, or technologies (for
example, robotics, applications and end
use tools, in-field management
activities). For the purpose of this
notice, ‘‘ready to go’’ means a practice,
technology, or management approach
that is fully developed, has been field
tested, has completed independent
research trials, is publicly available, and
end-user accessible. Submissions will
be most helpful if they include reference
citations or website links to research,
on-farm trials, end-user group
evaluation or other supporting
documentation that the product is
‘‘ready to go’’ and has already been
reviewed by the scientific or other
appropriate community.
To aid in submission of comments,
we request responses to the following
questions on the types of innovative
technologies, practices, and
management approaches that USDA
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:38 Sep 09, 2020
Jkt 250001
may want to consider for integration
and deployment in USDA programs, as
well as the best ways to integrate these
into program delivery. For the purpose
of this notice, ‘‘innovation’’ means any
idea, practice, or object that is perceived
as new or generally has low adoption,
and when judged as a whole has the
following characteristics: 1
• A relative advantage (efficiencies
gained by the innovation relative to
current tools or procedures),
• Is compatible with the pre-existing
system,
• Can or has been be trialed or tested,
• Produces observed effects or is
effective,
• Has potential for reinvention (that
is, using the tool for initially
unintended purpose), or
• May be complex or difficult to
learn.
When providing responses to this
notice, please provide the following
information where they apply:
1. What is the innovation, how does
it meet the AIA goals, and how could it
demonstrate significant gains in
agricultural productivity, significant
reductions in U.S. agriculture’s
environmental footprint, or both?
2. How does the innovation target one
or more of the following areas?
• Agricultural Productivity: Increase
agricultural production by 40 percent by
2050 to meet estimated future demand.
• Food Loss and Waste: Advance our
work toward the United States’ goal to
reduce food loss and waste by 50
percent in the United States by the year
2030, from the 2010 baseline.
• Carbon Sequestration and
Greenhouse Gases: Enhance carbon
sequestration through soil health (that
is, terrestrial sequestration) and forestry,
leverage the agricultural sector’s
renewable energy benefits for the
economy, and capitalize on innovative
technologies and practices to achieve
net reduction of the agricultural sector’s
current carbon footprint by 2050.
• Water Quality: Reduce nutrient loss
by 30 percent nationally by 2050.
• Renewable Energy: Increase the
production of renewable energy
feedstocks and increase biofuel
production efficiency and
competitiveness to achieve marketdriven blend rates of 15 percent of
transportation fuels in 2030 and 30
percent of transportation fuels by 2050.
3. How ‘‘ready to go’’ and adoptable
is the innovation based on the
following?
• Relative Advantage. The degree to
which an innovation is seen as better
1 This list of characteristics was Adapted from
Rogers, E.M. (1962). Diffusion of Innovation Theory.
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
55813
than the idea, program, or product it
replaces for increasing agricultural
productivity or decreasing agriculture’s
environmental footprint, in either
efficiency or effectiveness.
• Compatibility: How consistent the
innovation is with the values,
experiences, and needs of the potential
adopters.
• Complexity: How difficult the
innovation is to understand, use, or
both.
• Transferability: The extent to which
the innovation can be adopted or can be
easily made adoptable.
• Observability. The extent to which
the innovation provides tangible results.
4. If you are familiar with USDA
programs, which USDA program(s)
could the innovation be deployed
through and how could it be reasonably
integrated into that program in a way
that will move the agricultural industry
beyond its current state?
5. How could USDA support the
deployment and adoption of the
innovation in the field and what barriers
to adoption do you think USDA can
help overcome?
6. Are there specific ways that USDA
programs are inadvertently hindering
adoption of innovative technologies
and, if so, how can USDA alleviate
those barriers?
7. If you are presently working with
USDA on this innovation, how is USDA
already supporting its deployment and
adoption?
Stakeholder input will inform USDA
as it works to develop and execute a
comprehensive ‘‘ready to go’’
technology strategy, including rapid
deployment of the top technologies,
practices, and management approaches
that will enable U.S. farmers, ranchers,
and natural resource managers to help
meet global food, fiber, fuel, feed, and
environmental demands.
Note: Technologies and practices that have
potential to address these AIA goals, but
need substantial development or research
before deployment, should have been
captured in the recent USDA request for
written stakeholder input, titled ‘‘Solicitation
of Input From Stakeholders on Agricultural
Innovations,’’ which was published in the
Federal Register on April 1, 2020 (85 FR
18185) (https://www.regulations.gov/
docket?D=USDA-2020-0003). Comments to
that request were due on August 1, 2020.
Stephen Censky,
Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2020–20020 Filed 9–9–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–90–P
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[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 176 (Thursday, September 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55812-55813]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20020]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. USDA-2020-0008]
Innovative Technologies and Practices for the Agriculture
Innovation Agenda
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Request for written stakeholder input.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is
requesting comments and suggestions on the most innovative technologies
and practices that can be readily deployed across U.S. agriculture to
meet USDA's goal of increasing agricultural production by 40 percent to
meet the needs of the global population in 2050 while cutting the
environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half. This effort is a
part of USDA's Agriculture Innovation Agenda (AIA), USDA's commitment
to the continued success of American farmers, ranchers, foresters, and
producers in the face of current and future challenges. Note:
Technologies and practices that have potential to address these AIA
goals, but that need substantial development or research before
deployment, were captured in the recent USDA request for written
stakeholder input published in the Federal Register on April 1, 2020,
and open for comment until August 1st, 2020.
DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by November 9, 2020.
Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent
practicable.
ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. You may
submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=USDA-2020-0003 and follow the instructions
for submitting comments.
Mail: Diane Gelburd, Ph.D.; Deputy Chief for Science and
Technology, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Room 5113,
South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250. In
your comment, specify the docket ID USDA-2020-0008.
Comments will be available for viewing online at
www.regulations.gov. Comments received will be posted without change,
including any personal information provided. In addition, comments will
be available for public inspection at the above address during business
hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Gelburd; (202) 720-4527; or
email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) recognizes that there have been dramatic advances in
agricultural production efficiency and conservation performance over
the past two decades. As part of the Agriculture Innovation Agenda
(AIA), to assist farmers in
[[Page 55813]]
accessing and adopting new approaches, USDA requests input on the most
innovative technologies, practices, and management tools that can be
readily deployed through one or more USDA programs. Recommended
approaches should enable the U.S. agriculture industry to meet USDA's
goal to increase agricultural production by 40 percent to meet the
needs of the global population in 2050 while cutting the environmental
footprint of U.S. agriculture in half.
USDA implements a range of programs including, but not limited to:
Farm Service Agency programs (for example, the
Conservation Reserve Program);
Natural Resources and Conservation Service programs (for
example, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program);
Risk Management Agency crop insurance programs; and
Rural Development community infrastructure and energy
programs.
Each of these programs are well positioned to leverage ``ready to
go'' technologies, practices, and management approaches to benefit
farmers, consumers, and the environment in support of the AIA goals.
Through this notice, USDA's goal is to identify the best ``ready to
go'' innovations, as well as request input on how to best incorporate
these innovations into USDA programs and accelerate their adoption.
Input is requested from a range of stakeholders including, but not
limited to: Private sector, not for profits, farmers, forest sector,
trade associations, commodity boards, and others involved in the supply
chain or development of widely applicable practices, management
approaches, or technologies (for example, robotics, applications and
end use tools, in-field management activities). For the purpose of this
notice, ``ready to go'' means a practice, technology, or management
approach that is fully developed, has been field tested, has completed
independent research trials, is publicly available, and end-user
accessible. Submissions will be most helpful if they include reference
citations or website links to research, on-farm trials, end-user group
evaluation or other supporting documentation that the product is
``ready to go'' and has already been reviewed by the scientific or
other appropriate community.
To aid in submission of comments, we request responses to the
following questions on the types of innovative technologies, practices,
and management approaches that USDA may want to consider for
integration and deployment in USDA programs, as well as the best ways
to integrate these into program delivery. For the purpose of this
notice, ``innovation'' means any idea, practice, or object that is
perceived as new or generally has low adoption, and when judged as a
whole has the following characteristics: \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ This list of characteristics was Adapted from Rogers, E.M.
(1962). Diffusion of Innovation Theory.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A relative advantage (efficiencies gained by the
innovation relative to current tools or procedures),
Is compatible with the pre-existing system,
Can or has been be trialed or tested,
Produces observed effects or is effective,
Has potential for reinvention (that is, using the tool for
initially unintended purpose), or
May be complex or difficult to learn.
When providing responses to this notice, please provide the
following information where they apply:
1. What is the innovation, how does it meet the AIA goals, and how
could it demonstrate significant gains in agricultural productivity,
significant reductions in U.S. agriculture's environmental footprint,
or both?
2. How does the innovation target one or more of the following
areas?
Agricultural Productivity: Increase agricultural
production by 40 percent by 2050 to meet estimated future demand.
Food Loss and Waste: Advance our work toward the United
States' goal to reduce food loss and waste by 50 percent in the United
States by the year 2030, from the 2010 baseline.
Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gases: Enhance carbon
sequestration through soil health (that is, terrestrial sequestration)
and forestry, leverage the agricultural sector's renewable energy
benefits for the economy, and capitalize on innovative technologies and
practices to achieve net reduction of the agricultural sector's current
carbon footprint by 2050.
Water Quality: Reduce nutrient loss by 30 percent
nationally by 2050.
Renewable Energy: Increase the production of renewable
energy feedstocks and increase biofuel production efficiency and
competitiveness to achieve market-driven blend rates of 15 percent of
transportation fuels in 2030 and 30 percent of transportation fuels by
2050.
3. How ``ready to go'' and adoptable is the innovation based on the
following?
Relative Advantage. The degree to which an innovation is
seen as better than the idea, program, or product it replaces for
increasing agricultural productivity or decreasing agriculture's
environmental footprint, in either efficiency or effectiveness.
Compatibility: How consistent the innovation is with the
values, experiences, and needs of the potential adopters.
Complexity: How difficult the innovation is to understand,
use, or both.
Transferability: The extent to which the innovation can be
adopted or can be easily made adoptable.
Observability. The extent to which the innovation provides
tangible results.
4. If you are familiar with USDA programs, which USDA program(s)
could the innovation be deployed through and how could it be reasonably
integrated into that program in a way that will move the agricultural
industry beyond its current state?
5. How could USDA support the deployment and adoption of the
innovation in the field and what barriers to adoption do you think USDA
can help overcome?
6. Are there specific ways that USDA programs are inadvertently
hindering adoption of innovative technologies and, if so, how can USDA
alleviate those barriers?
7. If you are presently working with USDA on this innovation, how
is USDA already supporting its deployment and adoption?
Stakeholder input will inform USDA as it works to develop and
execute a comprehensive ``ready to go'' technology strategy, including
rapid deployment of the top technologies, practices, and management
approaches that will enable U.S. farmers, ranchers, and natural
resource managers to help meet global food, fiber, fuel, feed, and
environmental demands.
Note: Technologies and practices that have potential to address
these AIA goals, but need substantial development or research before
deployment, should have been captured in the recent USDA request for
written stakeholder input, titled ``Solicitation of Input From
Stakeholders on Agricultural Innovations,'' which was published in
the Federal Register on April 1, 2020 (85 FR 18185) (https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=USDA-2020-0003). Comments to that
request were due on August 1, 2020.
Stephen Censky,
Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2020-20020 Filed 9-9-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-90-P
