The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering the Food for Progress Program grant to advance agricultural development and trade in developing nations.

a. Overview

The Food for Progress (FFPr) Program provides for the donation of U.S. agricultural commodities to developing countries and emerging democracies committed to introducing and expanding free enterprise in the agricultural sector. The commodities are generally sold on the local market and the proceeds are used to support agricultural development activities.

b. Objectives

Food for Progress has two high-level strategic objectives: (1) increase agricultural productivity and (2) expand trade of agricultural products (domestically, regionally, and internationally).

c. Priorities

In FY 2023, USDA has prioritized the following technical areas for the FFPr Program:

1. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA): USDA seeks to strengthen FFPr Program projects to align with the USDA Climate initiatives. FAS is requiring Applicants for awards under the FFPr Program to incorporate climate smart agricultural components into all their projects wherever appropriate and respond to the increasing risks which climate change presents both to farmers and to a livable global environment.

2. Trade Enabling Environment (TEE): USDA seeks to continue its work through the FFPr Program in Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), food safety, and trade facilitation including the simplification modernization, and harmonization of processes for the export, import, and transit of agricultural goods. To ensure long lasting impact of their proposed agricultural development interventions, Applicants should: (a) consider agricultural sectors with end market opportunities which require consistent safety and quality measures, and (b) seek to assure that their work in SPS and Trade Facilitation is science-based and contributes to the three pillars of food security in target countries (access to, affordability of, and utilization of safe and nutritious food).

3. Strengthening Food Security: USDA contributes to the global poverty and hunger initiative of the U.S. Government (USG) by aligning USDA’s international food assistance with the USG’s Feed the Future (FTF) initiative. The Global Food Security Act of 2016 and corresponding FTF initiative affirm the United States’ commitment to ending global hunger, poverty, and child malnutrition. Through the FFPr Program, USDA will continue its work in food security by assisting farmers to increase their income through diversification, stronger market linkages and adoption of good agriculture practices. Applicants are encouraged to align proposed interventions with the objectives found in the FTF results framework, where appropriate, and are required to ensure that proposed activities are complementary and not duplicative.

In addition, USDA supports the recommendations proposed by the Consultative Group to Eliminate the Use of Child Labor and Forced Labor in Imported Agricultural Products. All proposals for country and priority areas in the NOFO that are identified in the U.S. Department of Labor’s report—List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor—must include a child and/or forced labor analysis. The distinct NOFO Country Guidance sections will provide further direction on how the proposals should address the technical areas and country specific goals.

a. Overview

The Food for Progress (FFPr) Program provides for the donation of U.S. agricultural commodities to developing countries and emerging democracies committed to introducing and expanding free enterprise in the agricultural sector. The commodities are generally sold on the local market and the proceeds are used to support agricultural development activities.

b. Objectives

Food for Progress has two high-level strategic objectives: (1) increase agricultural productivity and (2) expand trade of agricultural products (domestically, regionally, and internationally).

c. Priorities

In FY 2023, USDA has prioritized the following technical areas for the FFPr Program:

1. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA): USDA seeks to strengthen FFPr Program projects to align with the USDA Climate initiatives. FAS is requiring Applicants for awards under the FFPr Program to incorporate climate smart agricultural components into all their projects wherever appropriate and respond to the increasing risks which climate change presents both to farmers and to a livable global environment.

2. Trade Enabling Environment (TEE): USDA seeks to continue its work through the FFPr Program in Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), food safety, and trade facilitation including the simplification modernization, and harmonization of processes for the export, import, and transit of agricultural goods. To ensure long lasting impact of their proposed agricultural development interventions, Applicants should: (a) consider agricultural sectors with end market opportunities which require consistent safety and quality measures, and (b) seek to assure that their work in SPS and Trade Facilitation is science-based and contributes to the three pillars of food security in target countries (access to, affordability of, and utilization of safe and nutritious food).

3. Strengthening Food Security: USDA contributes to the global poverty and hunger initiative of the U.S. Government (USG) by aligning USDA’s international food assistance with the USG’s Feed the Future (FTF) initiative. The Global Food Security Act of 2016 and corresponding FTF initiative affirm the United States’ commitment to ending global hunger, poverty, and child malnutrition. Through the FFPr Program, USDA will continue its work in food security by assisting farmers to increase their income through diversification, stronger market linkages and adoption of good agriculture practices. Applicants are encouraged to align proposed interventions with the objectives found in the FTF results framework, where appropriate, and are required to ensure that proposed activities are complementary and not duplicative.

In addition, USDA supports the recommendations proposed by the Consultative Group to Eliminate the Use of Child Labor and Forced Labor in Imported Agricultural Products. All proposals for country and priority areas in the NOFO that are identified in the U.S. Department of Labor’s report—List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor—must include a child and/or forced labor analysis. The distinct NOFO Country Guidance sections will provide further direction on how the proposals should address the technical areas and country specific goals.