Common Bean Productivity Research for Global Food Security Competitive Grants Program

by: Iola Bonggay

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, more commonly referred to as NIFA, is a federal government agency created under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008.

The grants and programs of the NIFA are all designed to assist in the realization of its overall agency mission which is to "stimulate and fund the research and technological innovations that will enhance American agriculture and make it more productive and environmentally sustainable while ensuring the economic viability of agriculture and production."

In keeping with this mission, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture has recently established the Common Bean Productivity Research for Global Food Security Competitive Grants Program in an attempt to develop approaches and methods that can efficiently address the various challenges facing common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) production among small holder producers in food insecure countries.

Common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, is a widely produced product throughout food insecure areas of the world including many Feed the Future countries such as East and Southern Africa.

The program was primarily established to assist these countries in the process of dealing with the hurdles and challenges that shortchange smallholder producers of common bean.

The NIFA strongly encourages the applicants to concentrate on the following bean production research (BPR) areas:

  (continued...)

Common Bean Productivity Research for Global Food Security Competitive Grants Program
  Page 2

About The Author Iola Bonggay is an editor of TopGovernmentGrants.com one the the most comprehensive Websites offering information on government grants and federal government programs. She also maintains Websites providing resources on environmental grants and grants for youth programs.

Additional Resources

category - Small Business Grants

Department of Agriculture: Value Added Producer Grants
The Value-Added Producer Grants program is geared towards helping the Independent Producers of Agricultural Commodities, Agriculture Producer Groups, Farmer and Rancher Cooperatives, and Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Business Ventures in developing techniques that would create marketing opportunities and establish business plans involving viable marketing opportunities that involve the production of bio-based products from agricultural commodities.

---

Small Business Innovation Research Phase IIB Bridge Awards
In line with this mission, the NIH has recently constituted the Small Business Innovation Research Phase IIB Bridge Awards to Accelerate the Development of Cancer Therapeutics, Imaging Technologies, Interventional Devices, Diagnostics, and Prognostics Toward Commercialization Program.

---

Secondary Market Lending Authority Program
The Small Business Administration has constituted the Secondary Market Lending Authority program, one which aims to provide liquidity for the secondary market, thereby ultimately encouraging new lending opportunities from banks of Small Business Administration guaranteed loans.

---

Program for Investment in Micro-Entrepreneurs Technical Assistance
The Program for Investment in Micro-Entrepreneurs Technical Assistance Program is designed to decrease the number of disadvantaged micro-entrepreneurs by helping them enhance their management capabilities, by way of providing them with technical assistance and training in the areas concerning activities that are associated with starting, expanding and growing their businesses.

---