The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has announced that $160 million in funding is now available for research, education and extension projects to boost U.S. agriculture production. A budgeted $6 million of the funds––all of which has been made available through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)––has been set aside food safety in an effort to tackle one of the USDA’s most challenging areas. The USDA has made requests for applications to receive funds available online.

The official announcement states, “The goal of this program is to further develop and promote the use of innovative and sustainable food processing technologies and better understand, characterize, and mitigate antimicrobial resistance across the food chain, from farm-to-fork.”

What’s more, $16 million is also earmarked for food security. The program’s aim is to “develop more sustainable, productive and economically viable plant and animal production systems. It will also develop regionally-adapted crop cultivars and livestock breeds that contribute to rural economic development and prosperity while enhancing food security.

AFRI––which was created to pinpoint innovative solutions to some of society’s most prevalent issues––is currently in its sixth year of operation.