Harnessing scientific innovation and technology in agriculture and nutrition is key to reaching Feed the Future’s core objectives of reducing global hunger, poverty and undernutrition. It's also critical to meeting the global challenges of producing more food with less land and water, improving nutrition, and helping farmers adapt to climate change.
In May 2011, the U.S. Government released the Feed the Future research strategy, informed by a consultative process with USAID, USDA, university partners, and others stakeholders.
Investments under this strategy range from longer-term research to address major global challenges to applied and adaptive research guided by host-country priorities for nearer-term impact.
Sustainable Intensification
Feed the Future anchors its global research activities in four major agricultural systems with high concentrations of poverty and undernutrition and where we have the opportunity to make a significant impact to improve lives.
This approach incorporates research breakthroughs with management practices, extension and education to fit the local environment.
Increasing Productivity
To help meet growing global demand for food, Feed the Future research focuses on technologies that have high potential to increase agricultural productivity while at the same time optimizing the use of natural resources.
Food Safety and Nutrition
To improve food safety and nutrition, Feed the Future research is helping develop technologies and solutions that enhance dietary diversity, increase the availability of nutritious foods and access to them, and reduce the loss and contamination of food after it’s harvested.
Enabling Environment
To help countries improve the necessary conditions for stimulating and sustaining broad-based growth, Feed the Future conducts policy research and outreach around issues affecting food security and economic growth.
To improve growth and promote innovation in the agriculture sector over the long term, countries need to build human and institutional capital. Feed the Future works with countries to strengthen their capacity to conduct world-class research and train the next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs, technicians, policymakers, managers, and researchers.
Through the Borlaug 21st Century Leadership Program, Feed the Future is:
Addressing hunger, poverty and other major challenges in rural development through agricultural research requires a strong and diverse set of partners. Under Feed the Future, partners from U.S. and host country universities, international agricultural research centers, national agricultural research stations (NARS), nongovernmental organizations, and private industry implement programs.
As part of this effort, USAID and USDA are collaborating under the Norman Borlaug Commemorative Research Initiative to address key challenges that both U.S. and developing-country farmers face. Learn more about our collective work in the Partner Highlights and Updates below.
| Title | Description |
| Global Hunger and Food Security Research Strategy: Climate Resilience, Nutrition, and Policy | This RFA focuses on climate resilience, nutrition, and policy objectives under the Feed the Future Research Strategy, and welcomes applications in specific areas. Search "RFA-OAA-12-000036" on grants.gov for the announcement. Closing date: December 21, 2012. |
| U.S. Borlaug Fellows in Global Food Security Program | This program, housed at Purdue University, includes a Graduate Research Fellowship Grant Program and a Summer Institute on Global Food Security. The program currently has a Request for Applications (RFA) soliciting proposals in support of graduate research on topics related to the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future. Application deadline: November 11, 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. |
| African Women in Agricultural Research & Development Fellowship | African Women in Agricultural Research & Development (AWARD) offers two-year fellowships that include a series of career development resources for women agricultural scientists from specific African countries. Closing date: Sept. 7, 2012. |
| USDA Borlaug Fellowship Program | The Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program (Borlaug Fellowship Program) helps developing countries strengthen sustainable agricultural practices by providing scientific training and collaborative research opportunities to visiting researchers, policymakers, and university faculty. |
| Collaborative Research Support Programs | Opportunities exist within Collaborative Research Support Programs (CRSPs) at universities throughout the United States. CRSPs address hunger and poverty through science and technology. |
| Norman E. Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program | Applications are requested for Sub-Saharan African students conducting research on topics related to the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future. The focus region is Sub-Saharan Africa. Closing date: June 12, 2012. |
| Africa Leadership Training and Capacity Building Program | Africa Lead offers powerful leadership training that builds the capacity of agriculture leaders to prioritize key activities and implement priorities of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP). |
| Advancing Climate-Resilient Cereals | The Research Division of the Bureau for Food Security at USAID is making a special call for concept papers related to the Feed the Future initiative’s Research Strategy to advance the deployment of new climate resilient cereal varieties. Closing Date: Feb. 29, 2012. |