Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (United States)

The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) seeks to solve critical organic agricultural issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research, education, and extension activities. The purpose of this program is to fund high priority integrated projects that will enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high quality organic agricultural products, mitigate and adapt to climate change, build resilience of the organic farming system, and protect water and other resources. Priority concerns include biological, physical, and social sciences, including economics.

Priorities

• Proposals are encouraged in the following areas based on legislated goals and stakeholder input:
  • Conduct advanced on-farm crop, livestock, or integrated livestock-crop research and development that emphasize observation of, experimentation with, and innovation for organic farms, including production, marketing, socioeconomic, and environmental considerations. These issues could include both identification of factors reducing yields, efficiency, productivity, and economic returns on organic farms and the economic and socioeconomic contributions of organic farming to producers, processors, and local communities. This priority includes studies that help producers monitor and improve soil health and fertility, adapt to climate change, as well as studies focusing on soil, plant and/or livestock associated microbiome with practical applications to organic production systems. The development of tools and testing methodologies that can help protect the organic integrity is encouraged under this priority.
  • Develop and demonstrate educational tools for Cooperative Extension personnel and other professionals who advise producers on organic practices. Applications bringing end-users together with OREI-funded research, education, and extension teams are encouraged.
  • For both plant and animal-based organic products: evaluate, develop, and improve allowable post-harvest handling, processing, and food safety practicesto reduce toxins and microbial contamination, while increasing shelf-life, quality, and other economically important characteristics.
  • Strengthen organic crop propagation systems, including seed and transplant production and protection, and plant breeding for organic production conditions, with an emphasis on publicly available releases. Goals of organic propagation and breeding-focused proposals can include, but are not limited to: disease, weed, and pest resistance; stress tolerance including resilience to drought, flood, extreme temperatures and other climate change impacts; nutrient use efficiency; performance in soil-improving and climate-smart systems such as organic no-till; quality and yield improvement; and genetic mechanisms to prevent inadvertent introduction of GMO traits through cross-pollination. This priority includes cover crop breeding for enhanced performance in organic systems. Projects dealing solely with cultivar evaluation do not fit under this priority.
  • Explore technologies that meet the requirements of the National Organic Program (NOP) 1 and protect soil, water, and other natural resources. This includes developing, improving, and evaluating systems-based integrated management programs to address diseases, nematodes, weeds, and insect pests-related problems for organically grown crops. Systems-based evaluations can include the safety and efficacy of allowable pest management materials and practices. Proposals addressing organic management of diseases, nematodes, weeds, and insect pests in the Southern Region are especially encouraged. Where possible, the projects should engage emerging technologies such as automation, remote sensing, precision agriculture, artificial intelligence, and digital scouting to enhance plant protection and weed control as well as improve productivity.
  • Develop or improve systems-based animal production, animal health, and pest management practices to improve animal productivity, health, and welfarewhile retaining or enhancing economic viability, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Systems may include but are not limited to grazing and pasture-based systems (including rotational grazing), integrated livestock-crop systems, and the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) confinement standards. Projects should capitalize on emerging opportunities such as automation, artificial intelligence, deep learning, and precision management in animal production, welfare, and health; managing risk as appropriate, to continue to advance animal research programs and sustain effective technology transfer.
  • Breed, evaluate, and select animal breeds and genotypes adapted to organic systems. This would include but is not restricted to: identification of and selection for pest, parasite, and disease resistance; health and performance under organic pasture and feed regimens (especially soil-enhancing and climate friendly systems such as management of intensive rotational grazing and multispecies grazing); resilience to heat, fluctuating forage quality, and other stresses related to climate change; and performance in small, mixed, or other innovative farming operations.
  • Develop undergraduate and/or graduate curriculum for organic agriculture. Education activities under this priority may include instructional delivery programs and experiential learning including student-farmer engagement for students enrolled in associate, baccalaureate, masters, or Ph.D. degree programs.
  • Identify marketing, policy, and other socioeconomic barriers to the expansion of organic agriculture in the United States and develop strategies to address them. Lobbying and advocacy activities are not appropriate under this priority.

Funding Information

• The amount available for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) in FY 2024 and 2025 is approximately $44,000,000 each year. USDA is not committed to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards.
• Award Ceiling: $3,500,000
• Award Floor: $50,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Applications may only be submitted by the following entities:
  • State agricultural experiment stations;
  • Colleges and universities;
  • University research foundations;
  • Other research institutions and organizations;
  • Federal agencies;
  • National laboratories;
  • Private organizations, foundations, or corporations;
  • Individuals who are United States citizens or nationals; or
  • A group consisting of two or more of the entities
• Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – Duplicate, essentially duplicate, or predominantly overlapping applications submitted simultaneously to both OREI and another NIFA program, such as ORG, in the same fiscal year will not be reviewed. NIFA will disqualify both applications in the event of this particular occurrence.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.