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Program OverviewThe use of advanced technologies in animal production has spurred impressive yields as management decisions have conventionally been focused to improve efficiency, reducing costs, and maximizing profit at the farm level. This approach will continue to translate into growing productivity to fulfill the demands of meat, milk, and eggs of increasing human population, which will also increase GHG emissions, especially in developed countries. U.S. technology that uses a ration formulation software can significantly improve livestock farming productions by integrating locally available ingredients in local language while reducing GHG emissions.USDA has supported the University of California, Davis, to develop and adapt a livestock feed ration formulation software for a variety of international contexts, including the development of a national feed and forage library database, which also included data on use of premium feed or feed additives, and making the software program available in local languages. Project activities include developing feed ration formulation software, Taurus or PC Dairy, for Cambodia, Laos and Nigeria. The software is a modification of a package of computer programs for formulating and analyzing rations for beef and dairy cattle. Both software programs run on Windows 95 and above. The program comes with an extensive feed library and allows formulation and evaluation of rations for various classes of beef cattle, as well as creating user selected summarization printouts. Locally available feed chemical composition will be integrated into the software depending on the availability of the information. The software programs also include an output of an estimate of GHG emissions based on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommendations. The calculation methodology for GHG is adjusted based on the production system and type of cattle in each target country. The estimates are used for national inventory with additional information of number of cattle.This proposed follow-on project will improve the use of this software in the context of Cambodia, Laos, and Nigeria; in order to realize increased productivity and yield in livestock sector, and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In particular, it is expected to include:1. Mobile App Development:A development of a national feed and forage library database, which also includes data on use of premium feed or feed additives ration is currently under development in local languages in each country (Cambodia, Laos and Nigeria). As the existing application is limited to PCs, adoption and use can be facilitated through a mobile phone app for the targeted countries, and for subsequent trainings to be held with relevant stakeholders; and2. Training for the feed ration formulation software and app utilization.

Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine and its people is taking a devastating human toll – with lives tragically lost, families broken apart and displaced, and communities and cities destroyed. Among the consequences of this invasion are increasing food safety risks due to weakened controls on animal diseases. With limited access to veterinary medicines, livestock producers are forced to turn to other measures to try and ensure a safe food supply. The conflict also changes migratory pattern of wild animals, which will likely continue to interact with animals on small and medium size farms, all of which require an active monitoring and testing process to ensure that wild animal diseases are contained and controlled.In addition, USDA notes that African Swine Fever (ASF) is currently endemic to Ukraine. Preventing and monitoring the spread of ASF is vital toward protecting animal health and food safety not just in Ukraine, but globally.In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) seeks to promote technical support to Ukrainian industry on how to detect and mitigate animal health diseases and prevent, if applicable, their introduction into the food supply. This should include working across the entire supply chain, to ensure that the food supply is not contaminated after slaughter as well.

BackgroundThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides leadership on food, water, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management. Within USDA, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) provides technical agricultural assistance to foreign countries to make agricultural policy decisions based on evidence, science, and international rules and standards for safe, sustainable trade and food security. USDA’s extensive science and technology enterprise, including research, education and extension, result in innovations that support a safe, sustainable, and competitive U.S. food system with co-benefits that span the globe.FAS seeks to support a variety of international programming related to food security, the effects of climate change, and resilience through existing or new project-specific agreements with variety of partners, including USAID, the U.S. Department of State, and other federal agencies, and in collaboration with public and private-sector stakeholders and partners.Feed the Future (FtF) is the U.S. Government’s interagency global food security program, authorized and funded at approximately $1 billion per year under the Global Food Security Act (GFSA), guided by the Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS). USDA is one of the U.S. Government agencies in FtF and provides support to FtF through technical advice and analysis, in part by drawing expertise from primarily from the USDA community of USDA technical agencies and land grant universities.ScopeUSDA seeks to support applied regionally- or country-specific research and analysis in food and agricultural systems, and expert consultations in support of the initiation, development, revision or renewal of Feed the Future country action plans and strategies to improve food security and nutrition outcomes in the 20 Feed the Future countries.The recipient of this award will be part of the USDA/FAS-led effort to provide regionally- or country-specific research- and analysis-based food and agricultural systems expert consultations for initiating, developing, revising, or renewing their country action plans or strategies for implementing the U.S Government’s Feed the Future program. As such, specific studies, analyses, assessments, etc. will be identified and determined collaboratively after award.The recipient will assemble teams of experts who will support the development of action plans and strategies that transform and strengthen the resilience of food systems as well as enable the Feed the Future program to meet its objectives.Through this activity, USDA seems to achieve the following three outcomes:• Engaging regionally- or country-specific technical expertise in food and agricultural systems and other areas of food and agricultural sciences that can be used in developing action plans and strategies to reduce food insecurity.• Improving understanding of circumstances through research and analyses, in consultation with partners including U.S. Government personnel, by addressing research questions relevant to developing and implementing strategies and action plans to achieve the objectives of Feed the Future.• Publish and otherwise disseminate written reports and other information products based on the recipient’s research and analyses to support the country strategies and plans, and that can use in explaining FtF strategies and plans.

BackgroundThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides leadership on food, water, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management. Within USDA, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) provides technical agricultural assistance to foreign countries to make agricultural policy decisions based on evidence, science, and international rules and standards for safe, sustainable trade and food security. USDA’s extensive science and technology enterprise, including research, education and extension, result in innovations that support a safe, sustainable, and competitive U.S. food system with co-benefits that span the globe.Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine and its people is taking a devastating human toll – with lives tragically lost, families broken apart and displaced, and communities and cities destroyed. This created significant disruptions in global food and fertilizer markets. Both front-line countries directly affected by the war and low and middle-income countries are experiencing food and fertilizer price shocks and can benefit from technical assistance to develop responses to these disruptions.FAS seeks to support a variety of international programming related to food security and resilience through existing or new project-specific agreements with variety of partners, including USAID, the U.S. Department of State, and other federal agencies, and in collaboration with public and private-sector stakeholders and partners.ScopeUSDA seeks to support applied regionally- or country-specific research and analysis in food and agricultural systems and provide short-term technical consultants to support low- and middle-income countries affected by food and fertilizer price shocks as a result of the conflict. This support is available to low- and middle-income countries that are directly affected by the war and that receive U.S. Government agricultural development assistance.The recipient of this award will be part of the USDA/FAS-led effort to provide regionally- or country-specific research- and analysis-based food and agricultural systems expert consultations for initiating, developing, revising, or renewing their country action plans or strategies in response to food and fertilizer price hikes as a result of war in Ukraine. As such, specific studies, analyses, assessments, etc. will be identified and determined collaboratively after award.The recipient will assemble teams of experts who will support the development of action plans and strategies in low and middle-income countries that transform and strengthen the resilience of their local food systems to better cope with price shocks.Through this activity, USDA aims to achieve the following outcomes:• Improving understanding of circumstances through research and analyses, in consultation with partners including U.S. Government personnel to address research questions related to food and fertilizer price shocks.• Engaging regionally- or country-specific technical expertise in food and agricultural systems and other areas of food and agricultural sciences that can be used in developing action plans and strategies to reduce food insecurity caused by food and fertilizer price shocks.• Publish and otherwise disseminate written reports and other information products based on the recipient’s research and analyses to support the country strategies and plans.

The QSP is designed to encourage the development and expansion of export markets for U.S. agricultural commodities by assisting U.S. entities in providing commodity samples to potential foreign importers to promote a better understanding and appreciation for the high quality of U.S. agricultural commodities. The QSP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). QSP participants will be responsible for procuring (or arranging for the procurement of) the commodity samples, exporting the samples, and providing the on–site technical assistance necessary to facilitate successful use of the samples by importers. Participants that are funded under thisPage 2 of 20announcement may seek reimbursement from FAS for the sample purchase price and for the cost of transporting the samples domestically to the port of export and then to the first foreign port or point of entry. No other expenses will be reimbursed through the program, including the transportation costs from the first foreign port or point of entry to the final destination are not eligible for reimbursement. FAS will also not reimburse the costs incidental to purchasing and transporting samples, such as: inspection or documentation fees, certificates of any kind, tariffs, demurrage, etc. Although providing technical assistance is required for all projects, the costs of providing such technical assistance are not reimbursable under the program. The program operates on a reimbursement basis.

Program Description, Objectives, and PrioritiesIndividual firms, industries, and national regulatory bodies take different approaches towards thesame goals of sustainability and circularity for the production and trade in food and agriculturalproducts. Emerging sustainability regulations require understanding and adaptation byagribusiness, in order to maintain agricultural trade flows.This initiative will support the design, plan, and implementation of workshops and seminars toinform stakeholders, regulators, and policymakers on scientific and technical options to addresschallenges arising from the implementation of new regulatory mandates on sustainability andcircular economy themes such as plastic packaging bans, farm to fork traceability, ecolabeling,recycled food contact material certification, reverse supply chains for reusable packaging, anddeforestation-free supply chains.There is no consensus or internationally recognized standard on how life cycle analysis or otherforms of scientific analysis should be conducted to assess environmental impacts of food andbeverage products. Accordingly, this provides an opportunity for U.S. agricultural research andtechnology to be better considered in such analyses.USDA anticipates these workshops and seminars would be most impactful on the margins ofinternational trade shows and similar pre-planned gatherings of stakeholders, in which U.S. andEU stakeholders and government officials would exchange perspectives on how sustainabilityobjectives can be met in a balanced manner without restricting trade or imposing unreasonablecosts on producers or consumers.These activities could showcase the role of U.S. agricultural research in support of broaderglobal sustainability agendas, including the Collaborative Platform on Agriculture (CPA), whichis a new platform for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the EU Directorate General forAgriculture and Rural Development that enhances communication, exchanges knowledge andinformation, and promotes mutual understanding and trust, as the United States and the EU worktogether to address global challenges and achieve common goals on climate change,sustainability, and agri-foods exchanges.ObjectivesActivities should feature speakers and instructors from relevant U.S., EU/EEA, and Europeanresearch institutions, government subject matter experts, and private sector representativesworking on sustainability and circular economy initiatives in the United States and Europe.Participants should have specialized expertise in topics such as innovation for improvedcircularity, sustainable feedstocks, food product traceability, circular and sustainable food andbeverage packaging and logistics.Participants of these workshops and seminars will:(1) improve understanding of practical, transparent and evidence-based approaches toaddress the scientific and technical challenges of implementing sustainability and circulareconomy mandates in international supply chains for food and agricultural products;(2) learn from existing research, best practices, and lessons learned from existing U.S. andEuropean industry practices for enhancing the circularity of food and agricultural supplychains;(3) identify opportunities to provide scientific input on the proposed EU and EU memberstate sustainability initiatives, to ensure that they can be feasibly implemented and do notunduly disrupt or inhibit agricultural trade; and(4) improve understanding of emerging European and EU Member State circular economyregulations, and how to comply with them.PrioritiesThe workshops in the European Union are intended to broaden the current policy and regulatorydiscussions surrounding circular economy initiatives to include a wide range of stakeholdersworking on practical solutions to the scientific and technical challenges of implementing newsystems of sustainable packaging, farm to fork traceability, ecolabeling, and other circulareconomy and sustainability initiatives.These workshops could include side events at fora, such as the October 2022 SIAL Food TradeShow in Paris, meetings of the Agriculture and Environment Committees of the OECD in Paris,and relevant meetings in Brussels. Seminars could also be held in agricultural producing regionsin the EU in collaboration with EU Member State academic and agriculture institutions.The recipient will collaborate closely with USDA offices in Washington, Paris, Brussels, andother EU Member States as appropriate. The recipient is expected to identify appropriate venuesfor activities, developing agendas, recruiting and selecting speakers, managing logistics forspeakers (as necessary), and generating printed materials, such as agendas.Place of PerformanceThe recipient will conduct stakeholder dialogue activities in select EU Member States. Activitiescould also occur within the United States. Events may also be hybrid or virtual if appropriate.

The principal objectives of the McGovern-Dole Program are to carry out: 1) preschool and school food for education programs in foreign countries to improve food security, reduce the incidence of hunger, and improve literacy and primary education, particularly with respect to girls; and 2) maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs for pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children who are five years of age or younger.Funding Opportunity Numbers by Priority Country. (Refer to Appendix B - Country Guidance for more information)USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-23-(510) CameroonUSDA-FAS-10.608-0700-23-(124) HaitiUSDA-FAS-10.608-0700-23-(558) MozambiqueUSDA-FAS-10.608-0700-23-(646) NepalUSDA-FAS-10.608-0700-23-(130) NicaraguaUSDA-FAS-10.608-0700-23-(688) Sri LankaUSDA-FAS-10.608-0700-23-(578) TogoUSDA-FAS-10.608-0700-23-(000) Non-priority country applicationsThe Related Documents tab has the full announcement, details on how to apply, instructions on accessing the Food Aid Information System, weekly responses to questions, and other important information.

OFSP is the most widely disseminated vitamin-A rich biofortified crop. A consistent, year-round supply of quality roots is critical to expanding availability of OFSP and derived products, especially to urban consumers. USDA is seeking to support identifying a sustainable, economically advantageous, solar powered, cold storage system to handle two commodities that can be used for OFSP roots (for processing into puree and fresh root use), and onions. The cold storage should be flexible to handle both local and imported agricultural products. The intention is to determine and establish the economic viability of small solar-powered containers to facilitate a year-round supply of root crops.The recipient will work in collaboration with the USDA/FAS, the International Potato Center (CIP) and other Kenyan partners, such as the Kenyan government and other stakeholders in the Kenya Home Grown School Meals Program (HGSMP). It is anticipated that the recipient will obtain, install, and instruct Kenyan partners (i.e. the Ministry of Agriculture and a farmers organization) in their operation, analysis of pertinent value chains, and interpretation of findings. The solar cold storage containers are expected to help strengthen local market systems (including producers, processors and traders) for root crops by reducing losses from decay, reducing energy costs, and improving nutrition by increasing access to and the use of various high quality, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods in school meals.Program ObjectivesAnticipated products from this project are:1. Two solar cold storage units manufactured in Kenya or elsewhere, and installed in Kenya, one with the Government of Kenya, and the other with a farmer organization2. Train the Kenyan operators of the two facilities on how to store root and pureed sweet potatoes, and onions, and how to properly manage the facility using digital and airflow technology3. Align this pilot project to complement other work in Kenya on OFSP and Onion value chains

Please see NOFO in the Related Documents tab.

OVERVIEWThe International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP), in coordination with4H and FFA, will provide opportunities to eligible U.S. citizens to assist developing countries in establishing school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, PL 115-334, Sec. 3307, 7 USC § 3295. Eligible U.S. citizens must possess at least a bachelor’s degree, and ideally will have agricultural experience, including teaching agricultural skills, and curriculum and/or program development. FAS will consider program proposals from all eligible organizations, including current recipients and new organizations.The IAEFP’s purpose is to connect American agricultural professionals to the demand for experiential, school-based agricultural education in developing countries. The IAEFP was first implemented in Ghana and Uganda during calendar year 2021-2022. The IAEFP, affords United States agriculturalists to develop a global mindset, collaboratively meet the food and fiber needs of the domestic population of eligible countries, and strengthen and enhance trade linkages between eligible countries and the United States agricultural industry.OBJECTIVESIAEFP emphasizes agricultural skill transfer to youth in priority country secondary schools and encourages community-based extension and teacher training, as well as development of 4H clubs for strong sustainability of the program. Proposal submission should include, but is not limited to, classroom instruction, field demonstrations, entrepreneurship projects, and leadership development. The proposal should address priority country’s receptiveness of the IAEFP and what, if any, country policies and procedures will be necessary to incorporate into the project work plan for strong program implementation and sustainability. Host country’s government, agriculture community, and local authorities should demonstrate support and commitment to collaborate on the implementation and execution of the IAEFP.PRIORITIESFor this announcement, IAEFP will focus on any low to middle income country as defined by The World Bank. The recipient should provide a suggested curriculum to all Fellows that is tailored to the needs of the priority country. Fellow’s training topics should align with USDA and the priority country’s agricultural policy, development, and extension goals. Topics should also promote bilateral agricultural trade between the priority country and the United States and should address priorities on Climate Smart Agricultural practices. For additional recipient requirements, please see the Performance Expectations in Section F. Applicants must submit a draft evaluation plan as an attachment. Each evaluation plan should include a comprehensive approach to monitoring and evaluating the project’s performance and impact. This includes specific performance goals, an activity-level results framework, performance indicators with targets for each program activity, and plans for baseline and program-related data collection.USDA anticipates issuing up to 2 awards in this program cycle. Each award is expected to support up to nine (9) Fellows. The Fellowship is expected to last 8-9 months in concurrence with the priority country’s academic year. United States Fellows participating under IAEFP must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in an agriculture-related field and understand U.S. school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs. After selection, recipients will be expected to identify Fellows through an organized recruitment process including a request for applications and accompanying candidate selection process. In addition, the National FFA Organization (FFA) and the National 4-H Council (4-H) must be consulted on U.S. Fellow selections. Applicants are expected to identify their respective 4-H and FFA selection SME panel representatives within thirty days following negotiations. All final Fellow selections must be submitted to the USDA for final concurrence.Although each Fellow should be assigned to a specific site within the proposed country, they are expected to participate as a cohesive cohort. All proposal submissions must demonstrate that security considerations have been assessed and address all measures that would be implemented to ensure the safety and security of participating U.S. Fellows. Additionally, Fellows should be provided with adequate and safe living accommodations. Examples of safe living accommodations include but are not limited to: schools’ dorms with a security guard, host family accommodations, private transportation arrangements, etc. Living arrangements ought to be considered in coordination with the priority country’s U.S. Embassy Regional Security Officer recommendations. Applicants should also include in their orientation a safety and security self-defense training. Award recipients will be required to work with USDA/FAS IAEFP Team, and, if necessary, relevant FAS overseas offices and/or appropriate U.S. Embassy personnel on all programmatic issues, including but not limited to target country partnerships, Fellow placements, and security measures. Additionally, a strong social media presence displaying the ongoing activities of the IAEFP is encouraged. Finally, regular updates on program implementation should also be provided to USDA/FAS Washington, D.C. and FAS overseas office representatives.PLACE OF PERFORMANCEIAEFP will focus on any low to middle income country as defined by The World Bank. Applicants may submit multiple applications for different countries; and all will be considered. All proposals must address the safety and security situation in proposed country(ies) and the regions within the country(ies) where Fellows will be placed. All proposals must address where the IAEFP can work in conjunction with the Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program, the Cochran Fellowship Program, the Food for Progress Program, the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, the Local and Regional Procurement Program, Peace Corps, and/or USAID or other USG programming. All proposals should recognize and demonstrate incorporation of any priority country government requirements to allow for smooth implementation of this program. Program implementation must be focused on program sustainability and collaboration with the host government to help build/enhance the country’s agricultural education curriculum.Issuance of this funding opportunity does not constitute an award or commitment on the part of the United States Government (USG) to make awards, nor does it commit the USG to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a concept note or full application.Each proposal must be country-specific and tailored to the context of that country. Depending on ever-changing on the ground security situations, the USDA selecting official may elect not to award or fund proposals for a country(ies). In addition, USDA may elect to make amendments to agreements. The USDA selecting official may also select applications out of rank order in consideration of strategic program priorities, such as geographical distribution, incorporation of minority-serving institutions, congressional directive, or other documented considerations. These determinations are final and cannot be appealed.