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Guest Post: Is the Future of Organic Food at Risk? Research Funding Holds the Answer

AFRI

Guest Post: Is the Future of Organic Food at Risk? Research Funding Holds the Answer

November 19, 2024

Editor’s Note: This blog post is a guest post authored by Gordon Merrick, Senior Policy and Programs Manager at the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and Mark Schonbeck, Research Associate, also at OFRF, which is an NSAC member. The world is increasingly recognizing the value of sustainable food systems, and organic agriculture plays a vital role in […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Climate Change, Organic, Research, Education & Extension

Path to a New Farm Bill: Sustainable and Organic Research 

September 17, 2024

Editor’s Note: This post is the fifth post in a multi-part series exploring some of the key sustainable agriculture and food systems challenges that the farm bill can address. Through a series of posts comparing the House and Senate Agriculture Committees’ proposals, we provide an assessment of how each chamber’s bill would address a given […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Climate Change, Farm Bill, Organic, Research, Education & Extension

Digging into the House Farm Bill: Part 4

August 28, 2024

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the Farm Food and National Security Act of 2024 (FFNSA), which was reported out of the House Agriculture Committee on Friday, May 24. The first post details an overview of the markup process, the bill as a whole, and its likely (or […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, Research, Education & Extension

Organic Research Funding: Examining and Refuting USDA’s Justifications for Decreasing Dedicated Organic Funding

April 30, 2024

This guest blog post highlights the critical role of organic agriculture in addressing sustainability and health concerns within food systems. It discusses the concerning decrease in funding specifically allocated for organic-dedicated competitive grant programs in the Presidential Budget Request for fiscal year 2025 and analyzes the justifications provided for this shift. The post emphasizes the importance of proactive engagement from the scientific community, legislators, and funding agencies to ensure robust support for organic agriculture research and development…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Research, Education & Extension

Release: Briefing Addresses Building Agricultural Resilience for Future Generations

February 28, 2023

NSAC, Union of Concerned Scientists, Carbon180, and the Breakthrough Institute hosted a joint briefing on how public funding for agricultural research and development (R&D) has the potential to improve sustainability and build farmer and rancher resilience in the face of increasing food system disruptions caused by climate change. … Read More →

Filed Under: Press Releases, Research, Education & Extension

RFA ROUNDUP: SPRING 2023 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

February 28, 2023

This post shares all the information that food and farm organizations might need to best utilize the newly released funding resources. From funding guidelines, application deadlines, and program requirements, NSAC covers everything needed for the latest round of Requests for Applications (RFAs) to support your community of farmers and advocates…. Read More →

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, Grants and Programs

Digging into the 2023 Farm Bill: Senate Hearings Kick-Off the Long Road to the 2023 Farm Bill

July 22, 2022

NSAC details the recent Senate Agriculture Committee field hearing as a first step as part of the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization process. This is the first post in a multi-part series taking a deeper look into the 2023 Farm Bill process…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Farm Bill

What’s in the President’s Budget Request for Sustainable Agriculture?

May 13, 2022

The Biden-Harris Administration released the President’s Budget Request (PBR) for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 on March 28, 2022. The $5.8 trillion budget request comes several months late and includes the President’s discretionary spending plans and builds on the PBR FY 2022. NSAC outlines the Administration’s proposed budget as it pertains to the sustainable agriculture community and specifically: climate and conservation, research and food safety, local food and rural development, and farm loans and beginning and socially disadvantaged producers. … Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel

Inside the FY22 Appropriations Package: Wins for Sustainable Agriculture

April 7, 2022

On March 15th President Biden signed H.R. 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, also known as the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Omnibus. In this blog post, NSAC examines the content of the FY 2022 agriculture appropriations bill and how NSAC’s appropriations priorities fared in the process…. Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel

New Partnerships Between USDA Climate Hubs and Cooperative Extension to Boost Climate Research

February 28, 2022

$9 million in new grants for climate-friendly research through partnerships between USDA Climate Hubs and Cooperative Extension…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, General Interest, Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

From Supply Chains to Regenerative Agricultural Practices, NIFA Awards Over $146 Million for Sustainable Agriculture Systems Research

October 28, 2021

This year, fifteen projects were awarded grants to address a range of agricultural issues including groundwater use, decreasing food waste in the food supply chain, regenerative practices, and algal feed additives for dairy cows…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

$150M for Sustainable Agriculture Research, Impacts, and Assessment

December 11, 2020

Long-term sustainable agriculture research is critical to growing and supporting every American farm, especially as farmers across the country continue to address the challenges posed by a changing climate. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Sustainable Agriculture Systems (SAS) program – initiated to enhance the sustainable production of food in the face of […]

Filed Under: Carousel, General Interest, Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

Calling all Researchers! Nearly $300 million in Ag Research Funding Now Available!

September 8, 2020

USDA recently announced over $290 million in research grant funding through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – including funding for research on plant breeding, local and regional food systems, beginning farmers, farmers of color, and the impact of COVID-19 on our farmers and the food supply chain…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

RFA Roundup: Spring 2020 Funding Opportunities

March 4, 2020

Editor’s Note: As the COVID-19 situation progresses, we will continue to update this blog with the latest available information on deadline extensions. Additionally, you can find information on administrative flexibilities issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) here. This is a key reference for anyone currently working under an active federal grant. The memo […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Food Safety, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Research, Education & Extension

$192 Million in Food and Agriculture Research Funding Now Available

January 13, 2020

Editor’s note: This is an updated post of an article originally published by NSAC in May 2019 that has been updated to reflect changes made to the FY 2020 Request for Application, which was recently released late 2019. The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the largest federal agricultural research competitive grant program. In […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

Huge Research Investments Seek to Advance Sustainable Agriculture

October 4, 2019

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced a nearly $80 million investment into a new research initiative that will fund long-term, ground-breaking research needed to transition our current agricultural sector into a more sustainable and resilient system. These federal research grants are the first of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s (AFRI) new Sustainable Agriculture […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

USDA Research Investments Explore Profitability & Viability of Small and Medium-Sized Farms

August 20, 2019

Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced awards totaling $5.8 million for 16 research projects that will support research on the continued viability and profitability of small and medium sized farms. These grants were awarded as part of the Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities (AERC) program […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

AFRI’s Foundational RFA Open to Research on Sustainable Agriculture

May 24, 2019

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the largest federal agricultural research competitive grant program, released its Request for Applications (RFA) for its Foundational and Applied Science Program for the fiscal years 2019 and 2020. The purpose of AFRI’s “Foundational” program is to invest in research, education, and extension projects that support more sustainable, productive, […]

Filed Under: Research, Education & Extension

RFA Roundup: Bonanza of Spring Funding Opportunities

May 2, 2019

Grant funding announcements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been log jammed due to a series of government delays over the course of the last six months: passage of the 2018 Farm Bill was delayed by roughly three months, the last several appropriations and budget bills have been delayed, and the government shutdown […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs

$90 Million Available for Large-Scale Sustainable Agriculture Research

April 25, 2019

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) largest competitive grants program. AFRI, which is administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), funds research, education and extension projects that address food and agricultural systems. AFRI’s Sustainable Agriculture Systems (SAS) program recently announced the availability of $90 […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

Upcoming Deadlines For Family Farm and Rural Community Research Grants

August 1, 2018

Five research, education and extension grant programs relevant to small and mid-scale family farms and rural economic development have upcoming deadlines for proposals. All there are funded through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the largest of the competitive grant programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). […]

Filed Under: Research, Education & Extension

$180 Million Available for AFRI Research Grant Projects

June 6, 2018

Farmers face a variety of challenges on their operations every day (e.g., figuring out how to suppress weeds, minimize pest pressures organically, and determining which plant varieties grow best in their climate). Many of these challenges are becoming increasingly difficult to resolve and detrimental to farmers’ bottom lines, particularly those caused by climate change. In […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

New Funding Opportunity Aims to Increase Sustainability Research

May 29, 2018

  A new funding opportunity offered by the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seeks to help researchers address critical challenges related to the long-term sustainability of agriculture. Late last month, NIFA released a new Request for Applications (RFA) for “Sustainable Agricultural Systems” projects under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). According to […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

Over $17 Million Awarded for Plant Breeding Research Projects

June 20, 2017

When it comes to agriculture, variety is much more than just the “spice of life,” it’s one of the keys to a successful and sustainable farm operation. Though consumers are generally aware of a few different types of farming (e.g., organic, conventional, integrated pest management), the reality is that each farm is unique and each […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

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