This month, former governor of Iowa and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has taken on a new role as CEO of the World Food Prize Foundation, based in Des Moines. Vilsack says it is incumbent upon the foundation to be more aggressive in its efforts to combat hunger on a state and world level, in the wake of federal cuts to USDA programs and foreign aid.
Later in the episode, State Geologist Keith Schilling gives an update on the Iowa Geological Survey's work to map the amount of groundwater available in the state, for which he received a $250,000 allocation from the state legislature last spring. He hopes that the state can further bolster this work, as Iowa's use of groundwater is expanding for industries including data centers, agriculture, and ethanol production. Schilling also comments on the pause in funding for an $11.3 million Department of Energy study that was awarded to IGS last November.
Guests:
- Tom Vilsack, CEO, World Food Prize Foundation
- Keith Schilling, state geologist and director, Iowa Geological Survey
