On 13 April, Charles Rice, member of the ASM Public and Scientific Affairs Board (PSAB) Agriculture and Food committee on microbiology, represented ASM at the 2010 USDA-NIFA Plant and Pest Systems Stakeholders' Workshop in Washington, D.C. The event encouraged interaction between stakeholders and USDA staff to discuss issues of importance to both par ties, and research priority areas within the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Rice's presentation encouraged NIFA to increase investment in agricultural research, and stressed that microbial research is critical to help the USDA and NIFA address their current priority areas: climate change, sustainable energy, food safety, and global food security.