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

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56 Grants found

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Increasing Dietary Fiber in Wheat Crop 

Year Awarded  2019

FFAR award amount   $479,997

Total award amount   $959,997

Location   Davis, CA

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Bay State Milling, California Wheat Commission, Limagrain Cereal Seeds

Grantee Institution   University of California Davis

Diets lacking fiber can lead to life-threatening health concerns. The federal Dietary Guidelines recommends that women consume 25 grams of fiber daily and men consume 38 grams; yet Americans only consume 30 percent of the recommended daily amount of fiber. University of California, researchers are investigating ways to increase wheat dietary fiber using modified starch synthesis enzymes.

A community-based microfarm aggregation model for transforming agricultural production and enhancing asset-based economic development in post-industrial urban areas 

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

Grantee Institution   Ohio State University at Mansfield

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.

Integration of Small Farmers into Technology-enabled, Rapid-response Fresh Food Supply Chains 

Year Awarded  2019

FFAR award amount   $963,513

Total award amount   $1,928,166

Location   Tempe, AZ

Matching Funders   Arizona State University and New Mexico State University

Grantee Institution   Arizona 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.

Blackfeet Innovation Pathways to Food Sovereignty: Sustainability through Indigenous Applied Research Partnerships 

Year Awarded  2019

FFAR award amount   $998,496

Total award amount   $1,998,146

Location   Bozeman, MT

Matching Funders   Montana Healthcare Foundation

Despite the Blackfeet Nation’s rich agricultural diversity, the Piikani people suffer from diet-related health disparities and persistent poverty. Blackfeet Nation and Montana State University researchers are helping ranchers and farmers make cost-effective management decisions, investigating regional food systems and identifying how tradition Indigenous foods influence Piikani health.

Employing Regional Produce Cooperatives to Enhance Household Nutrition and Reduce Food Insecurity 

Year Awarded  2019

FFAR award amount   $999,740

Total award amount   $2,027,981

Location   Chicago, IL

Matching Funders   Rachel Ray Foundation, Target, University of Illinois

Grantee Institution   Feeding America

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.

Environmental and Nutritional Benefits of Food Recovery and Redistribution: A Pilot Assessment in New York’s Capital Region 

Year Awarded  2018

FFAR award amount   $99,987

Total award amount   $99,987

Location   Albany, NY

Program   Tipping Points

Grantee Institution   University at Albany

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 University at Albany research team to study how COVID-19 is impacting food access in New York’s Capital Region. This research is focusing on how the fresh produce recovery and redistribution arm of the Capital Region food system is responding to changes resulting from COVID-19.

Value-Added and Nutritionally Superior Extruded Foods from Agricultural Waste Streams 

Year Awarded  2018

FFAR award amount   $539,962

Total award amount   $1,080,767

Location   Ithaca, NY

Matching Funders   New York Apple Association, Cornell University

Grantee Institution   Cornell University

Much of fruit and vegetable skins, seeds, cores and stems left behind after food processing becomes a form of agricultural waste known as pomace, which has limited utility and harms the environment. Cornell University researchers are developing a technology to convert this waste into snack foods.

Towards Production of Residue-Free Healthy Fruit Crops 

Year Awarded  2018

FFAR award amount   $300,000

Total award amount   $600,000

Location   Prosser, WA

Matching Funders   WSU-Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems, WSU- College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS), WSU-CAHNRS Biological Systems Engineering Department, WSU Graduate School

Grantee Institution   Washington State University

Timely insect pest management is critical for quality tree fruit and wine grape production. However, consumers are increasingly alarmed by synthetic pesticide, which leave residues on produce and contaminates the environment. Washington State University researchers are developing and evaluating alternative pest management technologies that aid conventional and organic growers in reducing their reliance on broad spectrum pesticides.

Reducing Food Waste by Reshaping Consumer Behavior Using Data-Informed, Dynamic Economic Incentives 

Year Awarded  2018

FFAR award amount   $590,000

Total award amount   $1,564,276

Location   Ithaca, NY

Matching Funders   Department of Food Science at Cornell University, New York State Dairy Promotion Order, Chobani

Grantee Institution   Cornell University

Consumers often mistakenly interpret “best-by” labels as an expiration date and prematurely discard food that is safe for consumption. Cornell University researchers are developing models that predict milk spoilage and shelf life, as well as the effectiveness of interventions that predict when food spoils and how to prevent consumers from disposing of items that are still safe.

Modeling the Future of Food in Your Neighborhood 

Year Awarded  2018

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

Grantee Institution   Case Western Reserve University - School of Medicine

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.