Food Security Group Receives 4.5 Million Dollar USDA Grant for Agricultural Policy Project
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EmailThe new project seeks to improve development outcomes through increasing economic growth, food security, better nutrition, and enhanced resiliency to shocks.
Michigan State University’s Food Security Group (FSG) in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE) has been awarded $4.5 million dollars by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a new agricultural policy project titled Analytics Support in Kenya East Africa. The project is a team effort lead by MSU with support from Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development at Egerton University in Kenya and Purdue University.
As outlined in the proposal, the project aims to “implement a bilateral and regional program that will provide applied research and analytical support to inform and adapt the U.S. government’s (USG) food security and economic growth programming in Kenya and East Africa.” Ultimately, the project seeks “to improve development outcomes through increasing economic growth, food security, better nutrition, and enhanced resiliency to shocks.” When possible, the project team will work closely with local institutions and partners to enhance the agricultural policy research capacity and influence of these researchers and entities.
AFRE Professor and Food Security Group (FSG) member, Mywish Maredia will serve as the project’s lead principal investigator. Maredia has over 25 years of experience working in East Africa, including recently as the director of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy (FSP). Maredia says, “Michigan State University has been a leader in agricultural policy research in East Africa for over 40 years. We’re excited to continue to apply our research and program development expertise to this applied research and analytics support project and build on this legacy of collaboration in the region.” Eric Crawford, AFRE Professor and Co-Director of FSG, says “the project was designed and will be implemented in partnership with faculty from other departments in MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, with the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) in International Studies and Programs, and with faculty from AAP partner universities in Kenya and East Africa, as well as from Purdue University.”
The project is still in its formative stages. The team is working closely with the USDA/USAID to define the analytical agenda and research strategies in the months ahead. The project will establish an in-country program office at the Tegemeo Institute and work with a consortium of local partners and experts to implement the identified research priorities. The project’s research focus will be built upon four key thematic areas: agriculture-led growth, resilience, nutrition and nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and water resource management, sanitation, and hygiene.
The Analytics Support project is currently funded through September 30, 2022.
