Applications Open for Research Funding Through the USDA FAS Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab to Assist Fresh Produce Exporters

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service has launched the $10 million Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab as part of the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports initiative. The application period is open for this new funding opportunity, and awards will range from $50,000 to $250,000 for research, scale, and commercialization applications that support U.S. exporters through innovative packaging solutions.

USDA FAS selected Clemson University and the Foundation for Fresh Produce of the International Fresh Produce Association to lead the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab, in partnership with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research to administer this program. The application portal is available here: https://foundationfar.org/grants-funding/opportunities/sustainable-packaging-innovation-lab/.

Packaging requirements in export markets are rapidly evolving. A concern for U.S. producers and shippers of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as other specialty crops, is the need for innovative solutions and technologies that align with these new rules. The Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab aims to fund the development and commercialization of packaging and packaging alternatives for fresh produce that are compliant with emergent packaging regulations. To encompass the need for both basic research and readily implementable solutions, USDA/FAS and the implementing partners will accept applications for three tracks: applied research and development, a technology accelerator, and scale-up or pilot projects.

We welcome applications submitted from December 11, 2024, to February 12, 2025, through the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research's portal. In addition to funding, awardees will gain access to collaboration and networking opportunities, fresh produce industry and consumer insights, life cycle analysis tools, and legal reviews of emergent packaging regulations. Eligible applicants include companies, institutions of higher education, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and government-affiliated researchers. We welcome applications from international applicants if there is a clearly described collaboration with U.S.-based researchers, packaging companies or exporters of U.S. specialty crops. An informational webinar about this opportunity will occur on January 13, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EST.

For more information about the USDA FAS and resources for U.S. exporters of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, pulses, and other specialty crops through the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports initiative, including current and future funding opportunities, visit: https://fas.usda.gov/programs/assisting-specialty-crop-exports-asce-initiative.