Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commitment

FFAR envisions a world where everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food grown on thriving farms. By building collaborative partnerships, we support audacious science that tackles today’s food and agriculture challenges. We value and integrate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) into our efforts in order to ensure our work reaches everyone.

Externally, we hold ourselves accountable to potential partners and stakeholders, by proactively committing time and opportunities to build outreach, programs and relationships that reflect inclusivity and equity.

Within FFAR, we commit to direct and respectful engagement, and to learn, connect and ask questions to educate ourselves about other’s work and experiences. We empower our employees by being clear about roles, expectations and decision-making.

We believe that impact matters more than intent. At FFAR, we are accountable for the impact of our actions and words. We commit to achieving substantive, positive impact, while acknowledging and learning from our mistakes and putting those lessons to work immediately.

As an audacious force in food and agriculture research, we know there is much work to be done when it comes to DEI. We embrace the opportunity and our responsibility to do it.

Advancing Our Commitment

Insights

Our Insights highlight unique perspectives from across the food and agriculture community.

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The Importance of Healthy Indigenous Food Systems & How to Improve Them 

Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson

Assistant Professor - Indigenous Resiliency School of Natural Resources & the Environment Indigenous Reliance Center University of Arizona 

Building Diversity & Inclusion in the Agriculture Technology Venture Capital Industry

LaKisha Odom, Ph.D.

Scientific Program Director Sustaining Vibrant Agroecosystems

A Place for Everyone in Agriculture

Dr. LaKisha Odom & Jocelyn Hittle

Indigenous Farmers are Leading a “New Green Revolution” Focused on Hemp

James DeDecker, Director, Michigan State University – Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center Mary Donner, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians – Ziibimijwang Farm Executive Director and Tribal Citizen

National Nutrition Month: FFAR’s Bold Solutions Addressing Food Insecurity

Dr. Constance Gewa

Senior Program Director

A Farmers’ Perspective on Farm Labor & Health

Anita & Thomas Roberson in their cut flower garden.

Anita & Thomas Roberson

Botanical Bites & Provisions, Fredericksburg, VA

Tackling Malnutrition with Biofortification

Aichatou Djibo Waziri

Washington State University

Diversifying the Future of Venture Capital

The first cohort of the HBCU Kirchner Fellows are Bryana Pittman, Kwame Jackson and Martin Adu-Boahene who co-wrote this Insights piece to share the value of this fellowship and its potential impact.

A Farmer in Action

Karen Washington

A day on the Battlefield: Searching for Perennial defenses in wild places

Kelsey Peterson

2019-2022 FFAR Fellow

Tools for a Different Trade

Michael DeSa

Founder/Managing Director of AGD Consulting and the Host of the Vets in Ag Podcast

Turning Protectors into Providers

Richard Murphy

Executive Director of Veterans to Farmers, and Plant Guy

Every Day is Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Dr. Kim Paul, Dr. Kristin Ruppel

Founder of the Piikani Lodge Health InstituteProfessor of Native American Studies in the College of Letters and Science and director of MSU’s Native Land Project

Reflecting on Agricultural Labor this Labor Day

Dr. Alfonso Morales

Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Planning and Landscape Architecture

FFAR’s Pioneering Research is Fighting Global Hunger

Sally Rockey, Ph.D.

Executive Director Emeritus

Diversity & Inclusion in Agriculture: Leading With Intentionality

LaKisha Odom, Ph.D.

Scientific Program Director Sustaining Vibrant Agroecosystems

Navigating Diversity in Agriculture & STEM

Dr. Shefali Mehta & Dr. LaKisha Odom

Washington, DC

Feedback Loops & Food Access

Gwendolyn Donley

2019-2022 FFAR Fellow

Research is Critical to Preventing the Next Pandemic

Tim Kurt, DVM

Scientific Program Director, October 2016- September 2022 Advanced Animal Systems

News

The latest news and updates from FFAR.

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FFAR’s Dr. LaKisha Odom Selected for Two Prestigious Agriculture Industry Awards

Seeding Solutions Grant Provides Decision Support Tool for Extreme Weather Events

Student Teams Combat Climate Change

FFAR Accepting Applications for Harvest for Health Breakthrough Crop Challenge

FFAR & The Organic Center Invest $632,000 into the Future of Organic Farming

FFAR Accepting Pre-Proposals for 2024 Seeding Solutions

FFAR Seeks Nominations for 2024 New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award

Kirchner Fellowship HBCU 2023-24 Cohort Announced

FFAR and The Organic Center Announce $2.4 Million in Funding for Organic Outreach and Research

FFAR, NPB Seek to Improve Air Quality on Pig Farms

FFAR & WUR Launch Nature-Based Future Challenge

Partnership Empowers HBCU Students to Become Ag-Tech Impact Investors

FFAR is Accepting Pre-Proposals for Seeding Solutions 2023

FFAR Seeks Nominations for New Innovator Award

Advancing DEI in Sharing Carbon & Ecosystems Services Information

FFAR Announces $1 Million for Organic Research to Tuskegee University

Promoting Mung Bean Crop Opportunities

FFAR & The Organic Center Advance Organic Agriculture

AgMission™ Grant Aims to Improve Climate-Smart Farming Adoption

FFAR and OFRF Announce Six Organic Farming Research Project Awardees

Events

Join FFAR at our next event.

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Fireside Chat with the Kirchner Fellows: Reflections from the Inaugural HBCU Cohort

Application Deadline Virtual

Amplifying Underrepresented Voices in Agricultural Gene Editing

Signature Event Montgomery, Alabama

GOAT 2022

Public Conversation Rhinebeck, NY

Kirchner Fellowship HBCU Cohort Informational Webinar

Informational Session Virtual

young plants in trays in indoor growing environment with two robotic arms reaching into the plants on the center tray

Research Strategy Refresh Informational Webinar

Informational Session Virtual

african american woman checking melons

2024 Seeding Solutions Applicant Q&A Webinar

Informational Session Virtual

Plant in Soil

Cultivating the Future of Organic Agriculture in the Southeastern US: How Advancing Equity and Inclusion Will Strengthen the Organic Movement

Convening Event Montgomery, AL

Field of green sweet potato leaves with blue sky and white wispy clouds

Assessing Opportunities & Barriers for Minority Producers Transitioning to Climate-Smart & Regenerative Agriculture Programs

Panel Discussion Virtual

row of young corn stalks growing up through rye cover crop residue in a field

Preparing Today’s Scientific Workforce to Address the Food & Agriculture Challenges of Tomorrow: A FFAR Strategy Update & Student Fellowship Panel Discussion Webinar

Panel Discussion Virtual

Woman in lab coat seated at a lab table with a computer monitor and microscope, and on the table plants, beakers and vegetables

Nature-based Futures Challenges Grand Finals

Panel Discussion Virtual

River delta surrounded by farmland and homes.

Grants

While we fund audacious research that benefits numerous populations and stakeholders, some of our grants specifically support underserved communities. Learn more grants that support our DEI efforts.

Kirchner Food Fellowship HBCU 2023-2024 Cohort

FFAR, NPB Seek to Improve Air Quality on Pig Farms, Indiana

FFAR, NPB Seek to Improve Air Quality on Pig Farms, South Dakota

FFAR & WUR Launch Nature-Based Future Challenge

Advancing DEI in Sharing Carbon & Ecosystems Services Information

Integration of Agroforestry as a Transformative Solution to Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Organic Farms

Oregon Tilth

Enhancing Tools to Model Climate and Environmental Impacts in Organic Agriculture Systems

University of Wisconsin-Madison Organic Grain Resource and Information Network

Iowa State University Organic Agriculture Program (ISU OAP)

OATS (Organic Agronomy Training Service)

AgMission™ Grant Aims to Improve Climate-Smart Farming Adoption

Tuskegee University Endowment

Tribal Agriculture Fellowship Inaugural Cohort

Reinvigorating Soybean Yield for 21st Century Agriculture

Understanding the roots of soil health

Enhancing the sustainability of finfish aquaculture to increase production and public acceptance

Fermentation to unlock the potential of underutilized Indigenous plants – an integrated traditional ecological knowledge innovation toward bio- and techno-functional benefits

Improving soil health by engineering a rhizobacterium to depend on a plant and stimulate its immune system

Creating a nitrogen fixing symbiont for cereal crops

Program

Our research programs address specific food and agriculture challenge. Learn more about programs that advance our DEI commitment.

Improving Swine Production Air Quality

Tuskegee University Organic Research Endowment

Tipping Points

Science Workforce

Our research programs address specific food and agriculture challenge. Learn more about programs that advance our DEI commitment.

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Kirchner Fellowship

Tribal Agriculture Fellowship

Veterinary Student Research Fellowship

Opportunities

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Understanding Impacts of Hub Farm Resources in Expanding Adoption of Regenerative Agriculture Practices

Applications due

G20 MACS Request for Proposals

Letters of intent due

Organic Training for Agricultural Professionals Prize and Organic Center-FFAR Joint Organic Research Program

Pre-applications are under review

Kirchner Fellowship HBCU Cohort

This opportunity is now closed

FFAR’s Research Strategy

This opportunity is closed

Food Waste Challenge

This opportunity is now closed

Improving Swine Production Air Quality

Applications are under review