Grants Archive

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

Next-generation Sustainable Weed Management Enabled by Micro-targeted Legged Robots

Year Awarded 2024

FFAR award amount $450,000

Total award amount $531,003

Location Ithaca, NY

Matching Funders Cotton Incorporated; NC Small Grain Growers Association, Inc.; Z3 Agriculture

Grantee Institution Cornell University

Weeds are developing herbicide resistance faster than new herbicides can be created. As a result, farmers face lower profits and yields, while greater chemical use threatens soil and water health. Xiang’s research seeks to replace the costly machinery and large quantities of chemicals used for weed control with AI-powered lightweight robots for targeted weed management. These robots can apply micro levels of herbicide at the site of weed growth, reducing chemical use by 99%, lowering costs and limiting farm workers’ exposure to chemicals. This treatment also minimizes field disturbance by protecting crop roots.

Award Winner

Electrochemically Assisted Biological Nitrogen Fixation for Distributed & Sustainable Fertilizer Production

Year Awarded 2024

FFAR award amount $450,000

Total award amount $450,000

Location Baltimore, MD

Grantee Institution Johns Hopkins University

Ammonia is a critical component of commonly used fertilizers, but its production is energy intensive and restricted to large, centralized plants in a few countries. These factors contribute to the agricultural system’s vulnerability to rising energy costs and supply chain disruptions. Rossi’s research is studying the use of renewable energy to stimulate and accelerate ammonia production in bacteria. The research aims to allow localized, on-farm ammonia production, ensuring farmers always have access to a low-cost and readily available fertilizer supply.

Award Winner

Determinants of Persistent Cover Crop Adoption and Dis-Adoption to Inform More Effective Farmer Incentives for Durable Adoption

Year Awarded 2024

FFAR award amount $138,888

Total award amount $277,777

Location Arlington, VA

Program AgMission

Matching Funders The Nature Conservancy

Grantee Institution The Nature Conservancy

This AgMission grant is evaluating cover crop adoption and identifying the factors leading to their successful, long-term use in the Midwestern United States.

FoodShot Global Challenge #4 Water GroundBreaker Prize (Indiana)

Year Awarded 2024

Total award amount 150,000

Location Indianapolis, IN

Program FoodShot Global Challenge

Matching Funders Builders Initiative, FoodShot Global, The Rockefeller Foundation

Grantee Institution Atarraya

Dr. Daniel Russek’s transformative Shrimpbox technology reduces water usage by over 98% compared to traditional methods and eliminates discharges. This innovation promotes efficient water management and mitigates the environmental impact of shrimp production. Dr. Russek’s initiative integrates regenerative agriculture with sustainable aquaculture by enhancing soil health and crop productivity at Atarraya’s Smart Biotech shrimp farm in Oaxaca, Mexico, and providing a scalable model for global adaptation.

FoodShot Global Challenge #4 Water GroundBreaker Prize (United Kingdom)

Year Awarded 2024

Total award amount 80,000

Location London, United Kingdom

Program FoodShot Global Challenge

Matching Funders Builders Initiative, FoodShot Global, The Rockefeller Foundation

Grantee Institution ThinkAqua

FoodShot Global is a collaboration between venture funds, banks, corporations, universities and foundations to improve our food system. This research creates networked clusters around locally owned hubs that provide farmers with market access, inputs and technical support. The initiative addresses small-scale farmers’ needs by ensuring a ready market for tilapia, producing high-quality seed fish and reducing production costs by using fish feed from Black Soldier Fly larvae, which also serve as organic fertilizer.

FoodShot Global Challenge #4 Water GroundBreaker Prize (Arizona)

Year Awarded 2024

Total award amount $250,000

Location Tucson, AZ

Program FoodShot Global Challenge

Matching Funders Builders Initiative, FoodShot Global, The Rockefeller Foundation

Grantee Institution University of Arizona, Hydro Futures

Dr. Laura Condon developed the only national platform that simulates watershed dynamics from bedrock to treetops across the United States, providing producers with cost-effective predictions and improving irrigation and crop choices at only a fraction of the cost of traditional models. Dr. Condon aims to develop new capabilities to evaluate irrigation and crop scenarios and accelerate the commercial adoption of these innovative tools.

Fast-Track On-Farm Impact from the Cool Soil Initiative to Enhance the Climate Resilience of Australia’s Grain Producers

Year Awarded 2024

FFAR award amount $748,394

Total award amount $3,783,598

Location Bathurst, Australia

Program AgMission

Matching Funders PepsiCo, Cool Soil Initiative

Grantee Institution Charles Stuart University

Charles Stuart University is examining agriculture practices in cropping to enhance the efficiency of local Australian grain producers, which can also be applied to benefit U.S. farmers. This research builds on the Cool Soil Initiative, a partnership that has built and implemented a scientifically credible framework to support farmers in practices that reduce environmental impact and increase soil health.

Accelerating the Adoption of Climate Resilient Regenerative Agricultural Practices Across the Wheat and Maize Value Chain in the Mexican Bajío

Year Awarded 2024

FFAR award amount $750,000

Total award amount $1,500,000

Location Texcoco, Mexico

Program AgMission

Matching Funders PepsiCo

Grantee Institution International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)

CIMMYT is conducting research to accelerate the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices in wheat and maize in Mexico. Researchers are using field measurements and modeling to estimate current and potential environemtal impact the Bajío region of Mexico. Learnings from this research can benefit wheat growers in the U.S. and around the world.

Co-development of Innovative Prairie Cover Crop Strategies to Drive Adoption of Regenerative Climate Smart Agriculture in Key Sourcing Regions

Year Awarded 2024

FFAR award amount $749,346

Total award amount $1,498,693

Location Saskatchewan, Canada

Program AgMission

Matching Funders PepsiCo

Grantee Institution South East Research Farm

South East Research Farm is collaborating with University of Manitoba researchers to collect farm-level data that will be used in environmental models to evaluate the suitability of agriculture practices and their impact on crop yield, grain quality, soil health and environmental services.

AgMission™ Funds Global Youth Consultation to Co-Create Agricultural Solutions with Young Farmers

Year Awarded 2024

FFAR award amount $171,355

Total award amount $342,710

Location Rome, Italy

Program AgMission

Matching Funders McDonald’s and PepsiCo

Grantee Institution World Farmers’ Organisation

This AgMission grants builds on the 2023 Global Producers’ Consultation resulting from the development and implementation of a novel farmer-driven methodology. This report was generated after consultation with U.S. and global producers to collect information about their needs and expectations. This new award expands on the 2023 report to support a new iteration, the Global Youth Consultation, focused specifically on young farmers.

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

111 Grants found

Crop Recovery of Fertilizer Nitrogen & Soil Nitrous Oxide Leakage as Influenced by Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers

Mitigating Ammonia & Nitrous Oxide Emissions, Identifying Microbial Drivers & Improving Nitrogen Loss & Uptake Predictions with the Denitrification Decomposition Model

Optimizing Nitrogen & Phosphorus Fertilizer Efficiency in Southern U.S. Cropping Systems Using Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers & Cover Crops

Nitrogen Mass Balance Approach to Evaluating the Performance of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers in Corn-Soybean Production System with Cover Crop

Integrating Enhanced Efficiency Phosphorus Products & Best Management Practices to Improve Use Efficiency & Reduce Surface & Subsurface Losses

Implementing the Efficient Fertilizer Consortium Assessment Framework to Evaluate Nitrogen Fertilizer Use Efficiency for Tile-Drained Cropping Systems

Optimization of Enhanced-Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizer in Desert Soils: Characterizing the Performance of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers Under Different Rates, Timing & Mode of Application

Smarter Fertilization: Integrating Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers & Nitrogen Management Strategies for Optimized Yield, Nutrient Efficiency & Environmental Stewardship in Midwest Corn Systems

Evaluating Nitrogen Fixing Microbial Products in Corn Under Varying Environmental Conditions

Increasing Nutrient Use Efficiency & Reducing Environmental Loss Through Advanced Plant Nutrition Practices & Products in Kansas

The Agricultural Nitrogen Use Efficiency Platform (AgNUE)

Outcome-Based Identification of Best Agronomic Practices to Reduce N Footprint in Agroecosystems

Grassland Futures: Transboundary and Transdisciplinary Insights for Mitigating Grassland Conversion

Kernza® Supply Chain from Farm to Fork: Building Systems to Trace the Ecological, Nutritional and Community Benefits of Kernza® Production in Fields and Food Products

Advancing Soil Carbon Solutions through an Ecosystem Modeling and Data Consortium

Irrigation Innovation Consortium Funds Seven Research Projects

FoodShot Global Challenge #1 Innovating Soil 3.0, Deep Dive GroundBreaker Prize (Colorado)

Row Crops to Perennial Pasture: Feeding the World, Conserving Water, Enhancing Soil and Safeguarding the Climate

Building Agroecosystem Soil Health to Adapt to Climate and Regulatory Realities while Protecting Rural Community Health

Leveraging multi-scale datasets and modeling tools for improved soil health and carbon management

Next-generation Sustainable Weed Management Enabled by Micro-targeted Legged Robots

Electrochemically Assisted Biological Nitrogen Fixation for Distributed & Sustainable Fertilizer Production

Determinants of Persistent Cover Crop Adoption and Dis-Adoption to Inform More Effective Farmer Incentives for Durable Adoption

FoodShot Global Challenge #4 Water GroundBreaker Prize (Indiana)

FoodShot Global Challenge #4 Water GroundBreaker Prize (Arizona)

Accelerating the Adoption of Climate Resilient Regenerative Agricultural Practices Across the Wheat and Maize Value Chain in the Mexican Bajío

Co-development of Innovative Prairie Cover Crop Strategies to Drive Adoption of Regenerative Climate Smart Agriculture in Key Sourcing Regions

Better Deal for Data

Advancing Knowledge and Adoption of Climate-Smart Practices in Semi-Arid Perennial Cropping Systems

UC Davis Receives FFAR Grant to Help Improve Vineyard Soil Health

Improving Soil Health on Vineyards

FFAR Awards Grant to Reduce Water Waste in Crop Irrigation

Protecting Soil Health & Food Safety in Almond Orchards

Transforming Wastewater to Crop Fertilizer

Increasing Motivation and Promoting Persistence in Farmer Conservation

Novel Farmer-to-Farmer Learning Approaches to Cultivate a Culture of Conservation in the Mississippi River Basin

Advancing DEI in Sharing Carbon & Ecosystems Services Information

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

University of Wisconsin-Madison Organic Grain Resource and Information Network

Equipping Conservation Professionals and Farmers with Tools to Deliver Edge of Field Practices

A Multi-Source Remote Sensing-Based Framework & Decision-Support Tool for Flash Droughts & Floods Under Climate Change

Scaling Quantified and Verified Soil Health, Climate and Natural Resources Outcomes from U.S. Agriculture in an Innovative Ecosystem Services Market Program

Using Solar Panels to Enhance Groundwater

Integrating On-farm Solar Arrays to Enhance Groundwater Resources, Produce Energy & Diversify Farm Income

Protecting Florida Corn from Tar Spot Outbreak

A Deeper Dive: Linking Below-Ground Soil & Water Quality with Above-Ground Productivity in Organic Systems to Enhance Economic Viability & Ecosystem Resiliency

Iowa State University Organic Agriculture Program (ISU OAP)

Investigating the re-integration of organic food crops & animal production on above & below ground diversity, soil health, farm resilience & food safety

Rodale Institution

Oregon Tilth

Oregon Tilth

Kalona Regenerative Network Producer Education Training Program

A new methods of managing human waste for improved soil health, carbon sequestration, contaminant removal, and social acceptability

Increasing Water Productivity, Soil Carbon, and Sustainability of Integrated Multi-Crop Systems Using Field-Scale Research

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

OATS (Organic Agronomy Training Service)

FoodShot Global Challenge #3 Bioactive Foods GroundBreaker Prize (Champaign, Illinois)

Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) Reinvestment

Performance-Based Financing Models for Sustainable Water Management in the Great Lakes Basin

FoodShot Global Challenge #3 Bioactive Foods GroundBreaker Prize (Maryland)

FoodShot Global Challenge #3 Bioactive Foods GroundBreaker Prize (Massachusetts)

Expanding OpTIS, a remote sensing tool to accelerate soil health and climate-smart practices

Cotton-Based Precision Irrigation Improves Sustainability

Plant-Based Precision Irrigation Management for Improved System-Level Sustainability

Tuskegee University Endowment

Grant Quantifies Farm Risk Mitigation Through Improved Soil Health

Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) Grazing Research in the U.S. Northern Great Plains

Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) Grazing Research in the U.S. Southeast

Expanding development of a predictive model to quantify the risk reduction associated with specific soil health practices for use by private & public lenders & insurers to incentivize the transition to resilient, climate-smart agriculture

FFAR-OCP Disruptive Fertilizer Technology Fellowship First Cohort

Dairy, Soil & Water Regeneration Grant Promotes Integrated Research to Support Dairy Industry Commitment to Sustainability

U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative: Improving Dairy On-Farm Sustainability through Improved Soil Health and Manure Management

Mapping Trees in Future Climates: Integrating Knowledge, Data and Tools to Enhance Agroforestry Adoption for Climate Resilience

Kansas State University Provides Data on Nitrogen Management Practices in the Great Plains

Nitrogen SAVings through soil hEalth (NSAVE): Leveraging regenerative agriculture to reduce nitrogen inputs, increase farmer profits & mitigate climate change

Quantifying the Advantages of Multi-Paddock (AMP) Grazing in the U.S. Southeast & Northern Great Plains

AgMission/Precision Conservation Management MOU

FFAR Grant Examines Management Practices Effect on Soil Health

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