NIFA Awards $4.7 Million for Food Safety Education

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded more than $4.7 million in grants for food safety education, training, and technical assistance projects for producers who are impacted by the new food safety guidelines established by FDA under FSMA. The grants, made available through NIFA’s Food Safety Outreach Program, will assist owners and operators of small to mid-sized farms, beginning farmers, socially-disadvantaged farmers, small processors, small fresh fruit and vegetable wholesalers, food hubs, farmers markets, and others. The 2016 awards were made in three categories: Pilot Projects to support the development and implementation of new food safety education and outreach programs in local communities that address the needs of small, specialized audiences; Community Outreach Projects focused on growth and expansion of existing food safety education programs; and Multistate education and training projects to support the implementation of multi-county, statewide, or multi-state food safety education and outreach programs where there are common food safety concerns.