Awarded Grants
Below is a listing of our awarded grants that tackle big food and agriculture challenges.

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166 Grants found

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Accelerated Development of Crops of the Future 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $748,549

Total award amount   $1,497,098

Location   Ames, IA

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Iowa State University, KWS SAAT SE & Co, Beck’s Superior Hybrids, BASF, SAATEN-UNION BIOTEC and RAGT

Grantee Institution   Iowa State University

On average, it takes farmers ten years to produce a new crop. With an increasing global population, there is high demand for more crops sooner. Iowa State University researchers are developing breeding methods that accelerate plant breeding for multiple crop species. These breeding techniques deliver improved crop varieties – with greater yields – into the hands of farmers sooner.

Biological Control of Cattle Fever Ticks in South Texas 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $25,000

Total award amount   $50,000

Location   San Antonio, TX

Program   Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders   Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation

Grantee Institution   USDA-ARS

In addition to market volatility threats from COVID-19, Texas cattle ranchers are also battling the southern cattle fever tick (Rhipicephalus microplus), a tick carried pathogen that causes deadly cattle fever for which there is no vaccine or treatment. USDA researchers are developing biological control technologies to prevent and contain this parasite.

Noninvasive Wellness Monitoring of Broiler Growout Using Continuous Audio Analytics 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $180,000

Total award amount   $445,000

Location   Atlanta, Georgia

Program   SMART Broiler

Matching Funders   McDonald’s Corporation, Tyson Foods, Fielddale Farms and Amazon

Grantee Institution   AudioT

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. AudioT researchers are developing audio-based monitoring tools that analyze bird vocalizations and alert farmers to broiler welfare and behavior concerns.

Development of an Automated Broiler Gait Score and Flock Activity Assessment System 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $350,000

Total award amount   $513,214

Location   Knoxville, TN

Program   SMART Broiler

Matching Funders   McDonald’s Corporation, Peco Foods, Inc. and University of Tennessee AgResearch

Grantee Institution   University of Tennessee

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. University of Tennessee researchers are using multi-angle and multi-range cameras to monitor commercial broilers at both individual and flock levels and measure their walking ability and level of activity. This grant was awarded through our SMART Broiler research initiative.

Smart Monitoring of Broiler Welfare using Camera Technology and Machine Learning 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $499,639

Total award amount   $1,000,039

Location   Vejen, Denmark

Program   SMART Broiler

Matching Funders   McDonald’s Corporation, Scio+ and SKOV A/S

Grantee Institution   Wageningen University & Research

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. Big Dutchman researchers are using camera technology and advanced image analysis to continuously monitor commercial broiler flocks, map welfare assessments and estimate walking ability. This grant was awarded through our SMART Broiler research initiative.

Innovative On-Farm Broiler Welfare Assessment Using Imaging Techniques 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $500,000

Total award amount   $610,000

Location   Wageningen, Netherlands

Program   SMART Broiler

Matching Funders   McDonald’s Corporation, Plukon Food Group, CLK GmbH and Utrecht University

Grantee Institution   Wageningen University & Research

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. Researchers are using an affordable camera-based system and artificial intelligence that automatically and continuously monitors broiler chickens' gait and welfare, ultimately increasing farmer productivity and profitability. This grant was awarded through our SMART Broiler research initiative.

Flockfocus – Developing Automated Surveillance Tools to Safeguard Chicken Welfare 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $310,738

Total award amount   $310,738

Location   Belfast, Northern Ireland

Program   SMART Broiler

Matching Funders   McDonald’s Corporation and Moy Park

Grantee Institution   Queens University Belfast

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. Queen’s University Belfast researchers are developing a vision-based system to monitor large numbers of birds and track individual activity patterns.

OpticFlock: Automated Monitoring of Broiler Chicken Behavior That Prioritizes Animal Welfare 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $232,063

Total award amount   $232,063

Location   Oxford, United Kingdom

Program   SMART Broiler

Matching Funders   McDonald’s Corporation, Munters and Tyson Foods

Grantee Institution   University of Oxford

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring, which can be inaccurate and time consuming. University of Oxford researchers are testing a novel camera/computer system, called OPTICFLOCK, inside chicken houses to monitor bird behavior and alert producers to early signs of welfare issues, like foot pad lesions and lameness.

National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food & Agriculture Research: Zachary Lippman 

Year Awarded  2020

Total award amount   $100,000

Location   Laurel Hollow, NY

Matching Funders   Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Grantee Institution   Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Dr. Zachary Lippman was awarded the 2020 National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture for his work to increase crop productivity in the face of declining agricultural land and population growth through novel gene editing techniques.

FFAR Grant Supports Climate Smart Beef and Dairy Production 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $200,000

Total award amount   $603,500

Location   Greenfield, MA

Matching Funders   Australis Aquaculture

Grantee Institution   Greener Grazing

Methane is a potent climate pollutant that has more than 40 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide when released into the atmosphere. Ruminants, such as sheep, goats and cattle, release enteric methane from normal digestive processes primarily through “burps.” Previous research has shown that feeding a red seaweed, Asparagopsis taxiformis (AT), to cattle can dramatically reduce enteric methane emissions; however, AT is not readily available in large quantities for livestock. To address this challenge, the we awarded a $200,000 grant to Greener Grazing, LLC, a subsidiary of Australis Aquaculture, LLC, to develop the world’s first seed bank and ocean cultivation techniques for AT.