The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced $33 million in funding to 19 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to support research and education projects in sustainable farming practices. The funding will be provided through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which will support 82 projects in sustainable farming practices, such as reducing plastic use, enhancing nutritional value in vegetables, and addressing shortages in sunflower seed oil.
The investments will help deliver real-life solutions to strengthen the food system and inspire future generations of students and scientists to address agricultural challenges. The 1890 Land-Grant Institutions are a byproduct of a Civil War-era law that gave land to dozens of universities, including the HBCUs, but the land had been forcibly taken from Indigenous tribes. The projects funded total almost $1.74 million, with six projects at Southern University receiving funding.
These projects are geared toward sustainable practices in farming, as U.S. agriculture contributes to about 11.2% of greenhouse gas emissions. Examples include North Carolina A&T State University’s $250,000 project to conduct farm trials of biodegradable mulches, Central State University’s $500,000 project to explore the use of a perennial flower to improve honey production, and Tennessee State University’s $100,000 project to evaluate climate resiliency in legume species.
The full list of projects can be foundĀ here.
