For more than four decades, legume research programs have supported agricultural innovation, global collaboration and crop development to benefit developing countries and American farmers. 

The most recent program, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Legume Systems Research, focused on fostering dynamic, profitable and environmentally sustainable farming systems using cowpeas, common beans and other legumes.  

Managed by Michigan State University and funded through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of the Feed the Future Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative, the Lab aimed to improve resilience, productivity, nutrition and economic opportunity through an integrated research and development agenda. 

However, amidst broader USAID budget cuts, the Lab was terminated in 2025. This brought an abrupt end to decades of progress, leaving a noticeable void and disrupting the training pipeline for future plant breeders and scientists.