Grants available to support sustainable agriculture education and practices – Tri-State Livestock News

Report on NCR-SARE Grant Opportunities and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction and Overview

The North Central Region – Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) program has announced four open grant programs. These initiatives are designed to fund research and education projects that advance sustainable agricultural practices, directly contributing to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The grants are available to a wide range of applicants, including farmers, ranchers, scientists, and educators, across 12 states in the North Central region.

Since 1988, the program has supported agricultural innovation that aligns with key SDG principles, including economic viability, environmental stewardship, and enhanced quality of life for farming communities.

Grant Programs and SDG Contributions

The available grants provide opportunities to address critical challenges in agriculture while promoting global sustainability targets.

1. Farmer Rancher Grant Program

   This competitive grant enables agricultural producers to develop and test innovative solutions to on-farm challenges. A key component is the dissemination of findings to the wider community. This program directly supports:

   • SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): By fostering sustainable practices that enhance food production and agricultural resilience.
   • SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): By providing producers with opportunities to increase profitability and improve their quality of life.
   • SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): By encouraging the adoption of sustainable production patterns.

   Proposal Deadline: December 4, 2025, at 4 p.m. CST.

2. Partnership Grant Program

   This program funds cooperative projects between agriculture professionals and small groups of farmers and ranchers, fostering collaborative problem-solving. It is a direct implementation of:

   • SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): By strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing partnerships for sustainable development within the agricultural sector.

   Proposal Deadline: November 20, 2025, at 4 p.m. CST.

3. Research and Education Grant Program

   Aimed at researchers and educators, this grant supports projects that advance agricultural innovation and knowledge sharing. The program contributes to:

   • SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Through research that promotes sustainable and productive agricultural systems.
   • SDG 15 (Life on Land): By funding studies on practices that promote stewardship of land, air, and water resources.

   Preproposal Deadline: December 4, 2025, at 4 p.m. CST.

4. Youth Educator Grant Program

   This program provides young people with educational opportunities focused on sustainable agriculture, building a foundation for future generations of responsible producers and consumers. This initiative is central to achieving:

   • SDG 4 (Quality Education): By ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities in sustainable practices.

   Call for Proposals Opens: Mid-January 2026.

Application Details and Further Information

Detailed information on all open grant programs is available at the NCR-SARE grants portal: https://northcentral.sare.org/grants/.

For inquiries specific to North Dakota, designated NDSU Extension staff are available for consultation:

• Karl Hoppe: karl.hoppe@ndsu.edu or 701-652-2951
• Jeff Gale: jeff.gale@ndsu.edu or 701-652-2581

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The article’s central theme is the promotion of sustainable agriculture through research and education grants. This directly supports the goal of ending hunger, achieving food security, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The article explicitly mentions grant programs for education, such as the “Youth Educator Grant Program” and the “Research and Education Grant Program,” which aim to provide learning opportunities and advance knowledge in sustainable agriculture.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The grants aim to improve the economic viability of farming operations. The article states that a goal is to explore “sustainable ways of increasing profits and improving quality of life” for farmers and ranchers, which contributes to productive employment and economic growth in the agricultural sector.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: By funding projects that advance “sustainable agricultural practices,” the program promotes sustainable production patterns, which is a core component of this goal. The emphasis on “stewardship of the land, air and water” aligns with the sustainable management of natural resources.
• SDG 15: Life on Land: The article mentions that the grants advance “stewardship of the land, air and water,” which is directly related to protecting and restoring terrestrial ecosystems and promoting the sustainable use of land.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The “Partnership Grant Program” is specifically designed to fund “cooperative projects between agriculture professionals and small groups of farmers and ranchers,” directly fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships to achieve sustainable development goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 2.4: “By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality.” The entire article is focused on funding projects for “sustainable agricultural practices” to solve problems on farms and ranches.
• Target 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development…” The “Youth Educator Grant Program” and the “Research and Education Grant Program” are direct mechanisms to achieve this target by providing learning opportunities about sustainable agriculture.
• Target 8.2: “Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation…” The grants encourage “agricultural innovation” and provide producers with opportunities to “explore sustainable ways of increasing profits,” which aligns with this target.
• Target 12.2: “By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.” The program’s goal of promoting “stewardship of the land, air and water” directly supports the sustainable management of natural resources in agriculture.
• Target 15.3: “By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.” The focus on “stewardship of the land” implies efforts to improve land and soil quality through sustainable practices.
• Target 17.16: “Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries.” The “Partnership Grant Program” is a clear example of a multi-stakeholder partnership between agriculture professionals, farmers, and ranchers.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention official SDG indicators but implies several process-based indicators that can be used to measure the program’s contribution to the targets:

• Number of funded projects: The number of grants awarded through the four different programs (Farmer Rancher, Youth Educator, Partnership, Research and Education) serves as a direct measure of investment in sustainable agriculture initiatives.
• Number of participants: The number of farmers, ranchers, scientists, educators, and youth involved in the funded projects can indicate the reach and engagement of the program.
• Dissemination of knowledge: The article mentions that the Farmer Rancher Grant Program allows producers to “share what they learn with others.” Tracking the methods and reach of this knowledge-sharing (e.g., workshops, publications, field days) would be an indicator of progress towards Target 4.7.
• Formation of partnerships: The number of cooperative projects funded under the “Partnership Grant Program” is a direct indicator of progress towards building partnerships for sustainability (Target 17.16).
• Innovation in practices: The development and adoption of “innovative sustainable agriculture practices” resulting from the funded research can be tracked as an indicator of progress towards increasing productivity and sustainability (Targets 2.4 and 8.2).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: tsln.com