NIFA Invests Nearly $5M in AFRI Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products

The Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products program supports projects to study the synthesis of plant-derived, high-value chemicals and ingredients for use in foods, pharmaceuticals, and other natural products. Projects must focus on agriculturally important plants, but the choice of plant species must be justified. Molecular, biochemical, whole-plant, agronomic, or eco-physiological approaches may be used to determine the genetic basis of such traits identified through these studies. The intent of this Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program is for results to be translated into discoveries that help create or meet emerging and future markets and contribute towards long-term demand for new agriculturally based products.