Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that research and promotion boards support efforts to develop new markets and strengthen existing markets for specific commodities while conducting important research and promotional activities via pooled resources and stakeholder investments.

Whereas the sole purpose of research and promotion boards is to promote, research, and educate stakeholders on behalf of a particular commodity; Whereas individual farms and businesses collaborate on a comprehensive, industrywide strategy to expand markets through research and promotion boards; Whereas research and promotion boards promote a commodity as a whole instead of by individual businesses, creating industrywide benefit through increased sales, consumer awareness, and higher overall demand; Whereas private spending on agricultural research through research and promotion boards increased 44 percent from 2018 to 2022; Whereas research and promotion boards often partner with land grant institutions and extension services to conduct public research and provide technical assistance; Whereas each of the 22 authorized research and promotion boards has its own mission to promote its respective commodity through tailored research, promotion, and educational activities; Whereas the American Egg Board returns $10.11 for every $1 invested; Whereas the American Egg Board is investing in research to understand the nutritional benefits of eggs, such as the positive effects on cognitive function and early childhood development via choline intake; Whereas the American Lamb Board returns $14.20 for every $1 invested; Whereas the American Lamb Board is partnering with Michigan and Colorado State Universities to invest significant resources into sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction as well as mechanization of quality evaluation in lamb processing systems; Whereas the American Pecan Promotion Board utilized $153,500,000 in assessed revenue for market development and program implementation; Whereas the Cattlemen’s Beef Board returns $11.91 for every $1 invested and increased American beef demand by 12,800,000,000 pounds; Whereas the Cattlemen’s Beef Board is partnering with Kansas State University to research omega-3-enriched feed rations to increase feed consumption, rates of gain, and finished carcass weights; Whereas the Christmas Tree Promotion Board returns $13.11 for every $1 invested; Whereas the Christmas Tree Promotion Board is conducting research on pest management systems and selective breeding to combat infestations of Elongate Hemlock Scale and Phytophthora root rot; Whereas the Cotton Board returns $6.40 for every invested producer dollar and $17.40 for every invested importer dollar; Whereas the Cotton Board is supporting research on pest management systems, particularly for the tarnished plant bug, which yields growers savings of 100 pounds of lint per acre through effective management techniques; Whereas Fluid Milk Processors Promotion Board returns $4.78 for every $1 invested; Whereas the Hass Avocado Board increased consumption of Hass avocadoes in the United States by 278 percent to 8.5 pounds per capita since 2000; Whereas the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council returns $18.74 for every $1 invested and increased average annual blueberry consumption by 14 percent between 2014 and 2018, increasing grower revenue by 112 percent; Whereas the Highbush Blueberry Council has invested $12,000,000 into research in 5 main health metrics including gut health, cardiovascular health, diabetes or prediabetes, brain health, and overall healthy living to determine blueberry consumption improves cognitive function and cardiovascular health; Whereas the Mushroom Council generated $1,300,000,000 in retail sales in 2021; Whereas the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board’s market development efforts led to a 25-percent increase in cheese purchases in 2018; Whereas the National Dairy Research and Promotion Board has entered into a five-year collaboration with Mayo Clinic to research how dairy food, particularly whole milk dairy, impacts cardiovascular health and metabolic conditions, as well as its role on calm, sleep, digestive health, and immunity; Whereas the National Honey Board increased honey sales by 15.4 percent to $920,000,000 in 2022; Whereas the National Honey Board has launched its Celebrating Beekeeping video campaign to highlight the importance of honeybees and beekeepers to the entire United States food system; Whereas the National Mango Board increased the commodity’s value 142 percent from $262,000,000 in 2005 to $635,000,000 in 2019; Whereas the National Peanut Board returns $9.74 for every $1 invested; Whereas the National Peanut Board has invested $36,000,000 since 2001 into peanut allergy research to discover allergen mitigation tactics which are 86 percent effective; Whereas the National Pork Board returns $25.50 for every $1 invested; Whereas the National Pork Board is combating the African swine fever virus through investments in research to understand the virus, feed formula impacts, testing efficacy, and immunity; Whereas the National Potato Promotion Board increased potato consumption by 4 percent in 2021; Whereas the National Watermelon Promotion Board returns $18.80 for every $1 invested; Whereas the National Watermelon Promotion Board is researching the relationship between watermelon consumption and body weight management through decreased hunger responses, body weight, body mass index, and lower systolic blood pressure levels; Whereas the Paper and Packaging Board returns $12.41 for every $1 invested; Whereas the Popcorn Board utilized $1,001,269 of assessment revenue for market development and program implementation supporting domestic popcorn producers; Whereas the Softwood Lumber Board returns $85.71 for every $1 invested; Whereas the Softwood Lumber Board has invested millions of dollars into marketplace development for mass timber in commercial and residential construction applications by performance testing cross laminated timber and identifying all-wood construction barriers to entry; Whereas the United Sorghum Checkoff Program returns $28.70 for every $1 invested; Whereas the United Sorghum Checkoff Program funded research initiatives that led to the inclusion of whole grain sorghum in the Department of Agriculture Food Buying Guide as an approved ingredient for school meal service; Whereas the United Soybean Board returns $12.34 for every $1 invested; and Whereas the United Soybean Board has made significant investments to add long-term value for all United States soybean farmers through research into high oleic soybeans and American energy production: Now, therefore, be it That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that research and promotion boards support efforts to develop new markets and strengthen existing markets via research, education, and promotion, including by— (1) returning value to producers through comprehensive, industrywide strategies to expand the commodity’s market share; and (2) promoting a commodity as a whole to create industrywide benefit through increased sales, consumer awareness, and higher overall demand.

Summary: This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that research and promotion boards support efforts to develop new markets and strengthen existing markets via research, education, and promotion.