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Year Awarded 2020
FFAR award amount $100,000
Total award amount $2,000,718
Location Fort Collins, CO
Program Tipping Points
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is highlighting food system deficiencies. Producers are struggling to reach consumers due to concerns with processing, distribution and demand. We provided supplemental funding to the Colorado State University research team to evaluate how food is provided through emergency feeding programs, who uses these services, the costs of these services, the food provided and its dietary quality
FFAR award amount $2,000,000
Total award amount $4,000,000
Location Memphis, TN
Matching Funders AgLaunch, Mississippi State University, The Seam, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Tennessee State University, Wallace Center at Winrock International
The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated that greater tools are needed to ensure flexibility in the food supply chain during major crises to ensure both economic security for farmers and food security for consumers. The Open Market Consortium (OMC)is developing and piloting an open-source, public-access blockchain system to connect small and mid-size farmers to institutional buyers and minimize supply disruptions. OMC, led by AgLaunch Initiative, includes founding members Mississippi State University, The Seam, Tennessee State University and the Wallace Center at Winrock International.
FFAR award amount $2,591,231
Total award amount $4,792,131
Location Washington, D.C.
Matching Funders Aerofarms, Fluence, GreenVenus, Priva, BASF
Lettuce is a popular vegetable in the US, but much of the produce is not marketable because lettuce leaves discolor after harvest. Our Precision Indoor Plants (PIP) Consortium is researching ways to prevent discoloration in indoor-grown lettuce, while increasing lettuce yield and leaf quality. This is the first project funded by the PIP Consortium.
Matching Funders AgLaunch, Mississippi State University, The Seam, Tennessee State University, Wallace Center at Winrock International, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Year Awarded 2019
FFAR award amount $962,600
Total award amount $2,068,336
Location Mansfield, OH
Matching Funders Mind and Body Align and Braintree Business Solutions, North End Community Improvement Collaborative, Fran and Warren Rupp Donor Advised Fund of the Richland County Foundation, Sustainability Institute at Ohio State University
Ohio State University researchers are launching an urban sustainable food system project to increase access to fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops while supporting the local economy. The microfarm network will progress over three years, allowing researchers and growers to calibrate the growing, harvesting and marketing processes for the local setting. A parallel interdisciplinary research team will measure the ways in which this embedded local production system impacts a range of local issues from food insecurity, to urban beautification, to food literacy and educational achievement.
FFAR award amount $999,740
Total award amount $2,027,981
Location Chicago, IL
Matching Funders Rachel Ray Foundation, Target, University of Illinois
Millions of Americans struggle with food insecurity. Feeding America established Regional Produce Cooperatives to direct a greater variety of produce to food banks at a lower cost. Feeding America is evaluating whether the decrease food waste, shorten the time between source and distribution and increase access to produce. Ultimately, the project aims to increase consumption of nutritious produce and decrease food insecurity.
FFAR award amount $963,513
Total award amount $1,928,166
Location Tempe, AZ
Matching Funders Arizona State University and New Mexico State University
Highly-perishable produce is usually shipped across long distances. Without information about current and future market demand, some farmers produce a surplus of food that is wasted. Producers need more efficient supply chains to ensure quality fresh food reaches consumers. Arizona State University and New Mexico State University researchers are developing market intelligence and supply chain planning tools that enable growers to predict consumer demand and sell directly to consumers. The tool helps farmers reach the right markets at the right time.
Year Awarded 2018
FFAR award amount $433,152
Total award amount $870,998
Location Albany, NY
Matching Funders Bellwether Collaboratory, Capital Roots, The Food Pantries for the Capital District, John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Radix Ecological Sustainability Center, University at Albany Foundation, the University at Albany School of Public Health—State University of New York
Food recovery programs have the potential to reroute food that would otherwise go to waste to underserved people in the community. University of Albany researchers are creating a computational model to evaluate the components of fresh produce recovery and redistribution.
FFAR award amount $1,000,002
Total award amount $2,005,803
Location Flint, MI
Matching Funders Michigan State University, Michigan Fitness Foundation, Michigan Department of Education, Community Foundation of Greater Flint, C.S. Molt Foundation
Due to Flint, Michigan’s economic decline, aid from all levels of government and various organizations has poured in to decrease rates of food insecurity and malnutrition. Michigan State University researchers are identifying how interventions from government and external organizations can use resources more efficiently to promote healthy and affordable food access in Flint.
FFAR award amount $936,418
Total award amount $1,904,424
Location Cleveland, OH
Matching Funders Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine-Center for Health Affairs, City of Cleveland Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, Cleveland State University, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland, The Ohio State University (OSU) Extension Cuyahoga County, OSU John Glenn School, OSU SNAP-Ed, Saint Luke’s Foundation, The Food Trust, Unify Project, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Nearly two out of three Clevelanders have limited access to full-service supermarkets. In Cleveland, Ohio, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers are developing decision-making computational models to maximize the equitable impact of food system initiatives in neighborhoods in and around Cleveland.
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