The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture
(NIFA) is seeking applications for its Organic Agriculture Research and
Extension Initiative (OREI) to solve critical organic agriculture issues,
priorities, or problems through the integration of research, education, and
extension activities.
The purpose of this program is to fund projects that will enhance
the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic
standards to grow and market high quality organic agricultural products.
Priority concerns include biological, physical, and social sciences, including
economics.
The OREI is particularly interested in projects
that emphasize research, education and outreach that assist farmers and
ranchers with whole farm planning by delivering practical research-based
information.
Program Goals
The OREI has eight goals that were
legislatively-defined by the Farm Bill:
- Facilitating the development
and improvement of organic agriculture production, breeding, and
processing methods.
- Evaluating the potential
economic benefits of organic agricultural production and methods to
producers, processors, and rural communities.
- Exploring international trade
opportunities for organically grown and processed agricultural
commodities.
- Determining desirable traits
for organic commodities.
- Identifying marketing and
policy constraints on the expansion of organic agriculture.
- Conducting advanced on-farm
research and development that emphasizes observation of, experimentation
with, and innovation for working organic farms, including research
relating to production, marketing, food safety, socioeconomic conditions,
and farm business management.
- Examining optimal conservation,
soil health, and environmental outcomes relating to organically produced
agricultural products.
- Developing new and improved
seed varieties that are particularly suited for organic agriculture.
Program Priorities
- Conduct advanced on-farm crop,
livestock, or integrated livestock-crop research and development that
emphasize observation of, experimentation with, and innovation for organic
farms, including production, marketing, and socioeconomic considerations.
- Develop and demonstrate
educational tools for Cooperative Extension personnel and other
professionals who advise producers on organic practices.
- For both plant and animal–based
organic products: evaluate, develop, and improve allowable post-harvest
handling, processing, and food safety practices to reduce toxins and
microbial contamination, while increasing shelf-life, quality, and other
economically important characteristics.
- Strengthen organic crop
propagation systems, including seed and transplant production and
protection, and plant breeding for organic production conditions, with an
emphasis on publicly available releases.
- Explore technologies that meet
the requirements of the National Organic Program (NOP) and protect soil,
water, and other natural resources.
- Develop or improve
systems-based animal production, animal health, and pest management
practices to improve animal productivity, health, and welfare while
retaining or enhancing economic viability, including, but not limited to:
grazing and pasture-based systems (including rotational grazing),
integrated livestock crop systems, and the National Organic Standards
Board (NOSB) confinement standards.
- Breed, evaluate, and select
animal breeds and genotypes adapted to organic systems.
- Develop new undergraduate and/or
graduate curriculum for organic agriculture.
- Identify marketing, policy, and
other socioeconomic barriers to the expansion of organic agriculture in
the United States and develop strategies to address them.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program
Funding: $25,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $2,000,000
- Award Floor: $50,000
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications may only be
submitted by the following entities:
- State agricultural experiment
stations;
- Colleges and universities;
- University research
foundations;
- Other research institutions
and organizations;
- Federal agencies;
- National laboratories;
- Private organizations,
foundations, or corporations;
- Individuals who are United
States citizens or nationals; or
- A group consisting of two or
more of the entities.
- Award recipients may
subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such
organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project.
Post Date - 30-Oct-2020