Michigan Ag Connection - USDA: $34 Million to Support Sustainable Water Use Research

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USDA: $34 Million to Support Sustainable Water Use Research
Michigan Ag Connection - 03/27/2017

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $34 million in available funding for projects that promote sustainable water use for food production, processing, and other competing uses. Funding is made through NIFA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

"Only four percent of the earth's water is freshwater, and almost 80 percent of that is consumed in U.S. agriculture," said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. "These investments help us develop and adapt resilient water management strategies to meet the nutritional needs of a growing population, in the context of climate variability, extreme weather events, and diminishing resources."

The long term goal of the AFRI Water for Food Production Systems Challenge Area (WFPS) is to sustainably increase agricultural productivity and availability of safe and nutritious food while significantly reducing water use and preserving water quality. For Fiscal Year 2017, NIFA's WFPS RFA invites applications that employ systems approaches, which may lead to solutions for water challenges in U.S. agricultural production. These solutions must be feasible and reflect a broad range of considerations: agricultural producers, other competing industries, consumers and the communities where they live, and other stakeholders. Potential impacts may include changes in economic, environmental, behavioral, social, and policy approaches that lead to reduced water use, and increased water use efficiency for the next several decades and beyond.

Applications may be submitted by entities eligible to submit integrated projects for two specific grant types: Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAPs) and Strengthening (Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement or FASE) CAPs.

Letters of intent are due May 17. The deadline for applications is Aug. 2. See the request for applications for details.

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