The LSU agcenter through its experiment station focuses on and addresses research in the 4 main areas within the state of louisiana: family & community development to focus on issues affecting…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Louisiana State University Agricultural Center $2,091,138 on October 1, 2025, under the Payments to Agricultural Experiment Stations Under the Hatch Act (CFDA 10.203), a formula grant program.

LSU Agricultural Center will conduct agricultural research across four focal areas within Louisiana: Family and Community Development, addressing disaster preparedness, sustainable housing, and agritourism; Food Security and Systems, improving sustainability and profitability of animal, aquaculture, and plant production while addressing food safety, farm financing, and succession planning; Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, covering conservation of forestry, wildlife, wetlands, water resources, and alternative biofuels; and Obesity, Health and Wellness, promoting increased consumption of healthy foods and physical activity with emphasis on knowledge, attitude, and behavior change.

The award runs through September 30, 2027, with place of performance in Louisiana. The Hatch Act formula allocates funds to state agricultural experiment stations to conduct research on broad aspects of agriculture, including soil and water management and food quality, with at least 25 percent directed to multistate collaborative projects addressing regional or national problems. Hatch funds are expected to be fully expended in the fiscal year of appropriation; up to 100 percent may carry over for up to one year after the appropriation year without prior approval.

The LSU agcenter through its experiment station focuses on and addresses research in the 4 main areas within the state of louisiana: family & community development to focus on issues affecting individuals, families, community development; disaster, epidemic, and pandemic preparedness, mitigation, and recovery; risk awareness; sustainable housing; agro security; and agritourism with particular emphasis on knowledge, attitude and behavior change. Food security & systems to focus on increasing the sustainability and profitability of louisiana's animal, aquaculture, and plant systems and food availability, affordability, policy; food safety, to include seafood, raw produce, and processed commodity - safety, certification programs, farm financing, and succession planning issues. Natural resources & environmental sustainability to focus on conservation and preservation of natural resources, state's forestry industry, wildlife, wetland plants, water, waste management, landscapes, feedstocks, alternative biofuels, biomass processing and their effects on the environment. Obesity, health & wellness focuses on increased consumption of healthy foods - fruits and vegetables; increasing physical activity; complete physical; mental and social well-being; policy, system, and environmental change; and related precision nutrition/health/wellness issues to include epidemic and pandemic prevention. Louisiana has a very unique and diverse group of citizens, but research that is being administered in each focal area helps the agcenter to better serve the citizens of louisiana as well as collaborate with colleagues in varying other states to CO meet the needs of their respective state.