The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced an additional investment of more than $14 million to support agricultural workforce training in historically underserved communities that will increase the resilience of the US meat and poultry processing sector.

The investment is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts through the American Rescue Plan to strengthen the nation’s food supply chain by promoting fair and competitive agricultural markets.

Funding is available through the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Request for Applications process to eligible universities. Eligible applicants include qualified Centers of Excellence at 1890 Land-grant Universities, 1994 Land-grant Tribal Colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian institutions, and participants in the Resident Instruction Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas.

“These investments provide critical support to our higher education partners to increase rural prosperity and economic sustainability of food systems in underserved agricultural communities,” said Chavonda Jacobs-Young, under secretary for research, education and economics and USDA’s chief scientist. “Food insecurity and food system interruptions have hit underserved communities hardest during the ongoing pandemic. By investing in education and workforce development at these institutions, we are training the workforce of the future to develop long-lasting solutions to these and other critical agricultural issues facing our nation.”

Minority-serving Institutions, Hispanic-serving Institutions and Land-grant Tribal Colleges have made invaluable contributions to advancing scientific research and developing future agricultural leaders and change makers. Collectively, program investments at these institutions will build a pipeline of well-trained workers and support management of small-scale meat or poultry processing plants, the USDA press release said.