Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research

About Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research

Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research backs collaborative science through large, project-based research grants. Its recent awards show a mix of university-led work, public-sector research, and public-private partnerships across food and agriculture. The biggest recent grant in the data went to Kansas State University Foundation for $19,455,267 in 2024, followed by $10,300,000 to Ecosystem Services Market Consortium and $10,000,000 to The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation. That pattern points to a funder that uses sizeable awards to move research programs forward rather than to make small, one-off gifts. The foundation supports agricultural research across crop production, animal production and welfare, agroecosystems, fertilizer efficiency, food systems and nutrition, antimicrobial stewardship in agriculture, and indoor or controlled-environment production. It also funds research workforce development and consortia that bring together academic, industry, and other partners. Recent grants include major awards to Ohio State University, North Carolina State University, and the Agricultural Research Service (usda), alongside funding to The Nature Conservancy and the University of Wisconsin System. The grant list shows a strong emphasis on research infrastructure and collaboration rather than direct individual support.

What Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Funds

In crop and production systems, the foundation awarded $3,307,680 to University of California Davis for research and $2,223,474 to Kansas State University for research. Those grants sit alongside its crop-trait and production-oriented program areas, including Crops of the Future and Crops of the Future Collaborative. For animal agriculture, it funded Swine Health Information Center with $2,000,000 in 2025 for research and gave $2,322,891 to Colorado State University for research. The grant list also includes University of Florida at $2,285,485 for research. Food systems and environmental work appear as well. The Organic Center received $2,400,000 in 2024 for research, while Practical Farmers of Iowa received $2,381,421 for research. Ecosystem Services Market Consortium was awarded $10,300,000 for research, underscoring attention to agroecosystems and farm-scale environmental outcomes.

How Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Gives