20235130040950
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Organic growers can face unique challenges in trying to meet both National Organic Program standards and food safety requirements. According to the NASS 2019 Organic Survey, regulatory problems were the greatest production challenge for growers. Our 2022 National Needs Assessment study, funded by an OREI planning grant (#2021-51300-34893), identified food safety as a policy and marketing constraint on the expansion of organic specialty crop agriculture.
Specifically, complying with food safety requirements poses both operational and administrative barriers for organic growers. Operational barriers impact farm production decisions and practices. Administrative barriers impact a farm's policy compliance and market access. Both barriers can hinder organic growers seeking to grow their operations as well as growers considering making the transition to organic certification, and we propose concrete approaches to lower these barriers.
First, by developing a practical, user-friendly risk-assessment and decision-making tool for organic soil amendments. Second, by developing, demonstrating, and evaluating a suite of extension and outreach materials aimed at bringing all organic produce stakeholders--including organic growers, farm advisors, and organic and food safety auditors and certifiers, and buyers--to a common understanding of the unique food safety risks and farm management strategies specific to organic agriculture of fruit and vegetable crops covered by the Produce Safety Rule.
Our long-term goal is to reduce both the operational and administrative barriers to compliance with multiple regulations by equipping organic growers and industry stakeholders with evidence-based tools and training to comply simultaneously with organic agriculture and food safety best practices and requirements.
Specifically, complying with food safety requirements poses both operational and administrative barriers for organic growers. Operational barriers impact farm production decisions and practices. Administrative barriers impact a farm's policy compliance and market access. Both barriers can hinder organic growers seeking to grow their operations as well as growers considering making the transition to organic certification, and we propose concrete approaches to lower these barriers.
First, by developing a practical, user-friendly risk-assessment and decision-making tool for organic soil amendments. Second, by developing, demonstrating, and evaluating a suite of extension and outreach materials aimed at bringing all organic produce stakeholders--including organic growers, farm advisors, and organic and food safety auditors and certifiers, and buyers--to a common understanding of the unique food safety risks and farm management strategies specific to organic agriculture of fruit and vegetable crops covered by the Produce Safety Rule.
Our long-term goal is to reduce both the operational and administrative barriers to compliance with multiple regulations by equipping organic growers and industry stakeholders with evidence-based tools and training to comply simultaneously with organic agriculture and food safety best practices and requirements.
Awardee
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Kingston,
Rhode Island
02881
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Related Opportunity
University Of Rhode Island was awarded
Reducing Barriers Organic Growers: Organic Agriculture & Food Safety
Project Grant 20235130040950
worth $3,499,209
from the Institute of Food Production and Sustainability in September 2023 with work to be completed primarily in Kingston Rhode Island United States.
The grant
has a duration of 4 years and
was awarded through assistance program 10.307 Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative.
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 9/6/23
Period of Performance
9/1/23
Start Date
8/31/27
End Date
Funding Split
$3.5M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$3.5M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
20235130040950
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Public/State Controlled Institution Of Higher Education
Awarding Office
12348T INSTITUTE OF FOOD PROTECTION AND SUSTAINABILITY (IFPS)
Funding Office
12348T INSTITUTE OF FOOD PROTECTION AND SUSTAINABILITY (IFPS)
Awardee UEI
CJDNG9D14MW7
Awardee CAGE
6G7Y5
Performance District
RI-02
Senators
Sheldon Whitehouse
John Reed
John Reed
Budget Funding
| Federal Account | Budget Subfunction | Object Class | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated Activities, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture (012-1502) | Agricultural research and services | Grants, subsidies, and contributions (41.0) | $3,499,209 | 100% |
Modified: 9/6/23