The primary goal of F2F is to generate sustainable, broad-based economic growth in the agricultural sector. A secondary goal is to increase the American public’s understanding of international development issues and programs and international understanding of the U.S. and U.S. development programs. F2F objectives are to:

1) increase agricultural sector productivity and profitability;

2) improve conservation and sustainable use of environmental and natural resources;

3) expand sector access to financial services; and

4) strengthen agricultural sector institutions.

The International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP), in coordination with 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA), will provide opportunities to eligible U.S. citizens to assist developing countries in establishing school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs. The IAEFP’s purpose is to connect United States agriculturalists to the demand for experiential, school-based agricultural education in developing countries. The IAEFP was first implemented in Ghana during calendar year 2021-2022. The IAEFP allows United States agriculturalists the opportunity to develop a global mindset, help collaboratively meet the food and fiber needs of the domestic population of eligible countries, and help strengthen and enhance trade linkages between eligible countries and the United States agricultural industry.

The IAEFP emphasizes positive youth development and agricultural skill transfer to youth in beneficiary country secondary schools. It also encourages community-based agricultural extension and teacher training as well as development of 4-H clubs for strong sustainability of the program. Application submission should include, but is not limited to, program outlines that involve classroom instruction, field demonstrations, entrepreneurship projects, and leadership development. The application should address the identified country’s receptiveness of the IAEFP and what, if any, country policies and procedures will be necessary to incorporate into the project work plan for strong program implementation and sustainability. The country’s government, agriculture community, and local authorities should demonstrate support and commitment to collaborate on the implementation and execution of the IAEFP.

This program has historically supported up to 10 collaborative research programs annually. All applications must include foreign collaborations, and projects should not exceed two years. Funding may be allocated to foreign collaborators through subawards. The SCRP supports FAS’s Borlaug Fellowship Program and other USDA strategic goals by mobilizing the scientific communities’ accumulated knowledge and technologies through the funding of joint research, extension, and education projects. These projects are between U.S. researchers and researchers from selected emerging market economies, last up to two years, and address issues including but not limited to agricultural trade and market access, animal and plant health, biotechnology, food safety and security, climate smart agriculture, and sustainable natural resource management. Since 1980, the program has supported hundreds of projects, enhancing the technical skills of agricultural professionals, and helping beneficiary countries further develop their relationships with the U.S. agriculture sector. In the 2023 program cycle, the SCRP will support applied research, extension, and education projects between U.S. researchers and their foreign counterparts from selected emerging market economies (as defined at 7 USC § 5623(d)(1), generally including countries listed in the low and middle-income groups by the World Bank) who seek to create practical solutions to challenges faced by farmers and build regional or global trade capacities in target countries. Both collaborators must be a previous Mentor/Fellow pair from USDA/FAS’s Borlaug International Agricultural Technology Fellowship Program (Borlaug Fellowship Program).

This program will support the design and delivery of training activities for university professors in Veterinary Science from the Philippines and Vietnam. Veterinary training design and training under the FEP must include a curriculum that addresses science based Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) issues that connect to international trade.

Training programs are designed and organized in conjunction with U.S. universities, USDA, and other government agencies. The FEP emphasizes the development of improved and updated courses and curricula, teaching and student assessment methods, exposure to current research techniques, and practical field experiences while the Fellows study in the United States. In addition, the FEP includes follow-up visits by U.S. host professors (the Mentors) to their Fellow’s home country. While visiting the participants' universities, U.S. faculty members are expected to assess progress on the implementation of courses developed during the U.S. based portion of the program and should continue to encourage collaboration between U.S. and participating universities.