Screwworm Research Grant to Billionaire-Linked Biotech Sparks Questions Over USDA's True Motives
A new $48 million USDA grant for screwworm eradication has landed in the hands of a biotech firm with deep ties to a billionaire investor, raising eyebrows among skeptics who wonder: who truly benefits from this supposed agricultural emergency? The project, touted as a vital defense against a parasitic fly that devastates livestock, funnels public funds to a company whose CEO sits on the board of a major agribusiness conglomerate. Critics point to a pattern of "crisis milling," where disease outbreaks are leveraged to push taxpayer-funded solutions that often fail to deliver promised results. Meanwhile, local ranchers report being left out of the conversation, questioning if the real infestation is one of bureaucratic overreach and corporate welfare. The question isn't just if the screwworm will be stopped, but if the public will ever see the full cost—or benefit.