Revised end date Ag Biotech APS.pdf

Issue Date: November 21, 2019

Deadline for APS Questions: December 06, 2019

Closing Date: November 20, 20212020

Closing Time: 23:59 EST

Subject: Annual Program Statement (APS) Number: 7200AA20APS00003

Program Title: Agricultural Biotechnology for Global Food Security

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 98.001

Dear Applicants, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) seeks to notify qualified organizations about forthcoming opportunities to implement the Agricultural Biotechnology for

Global Food Security program described in this Annual Program Statement (APS), and in further detail under published Addenda to this APS. Please note that this APS describes the overarching program USAID is interested in funding in this space, however, funding opportunities will be available only at the Addendum level, and will be published separately on www.grants.gov.

USAID intends to issue multiple awards by way of funded Addenda to the applicant(s) who best meets the objectives based on the general merit review criteria described in this APS and the more specific criteria outlined in subsequent Addenda. Eligible parties interested in responding to a given Addendum are encouraged to thoroughly read this APS and the relevant Addendum to understand the type of program sought, application submission requirements, and the selection process. Eligibility for awards resulting from Addenda under this APS is not restricted.

To be eligible for award, the applicant must provide all information as required in this APS and meet eligibility standards in Section C of this APS. This APS is posted on www.grants.gov, and may be amended. It is the responsibility of the applicant to regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this notice of funding opportunity and to ensure that the APS and relevant Addenda have been received from the internet in its entirety. USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion process. If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov or accessing the APS or Addendum, please contact the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance.

USAID may not issue an award to an applicant unless the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) requirements http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

Agricultural Biotechnology for Global Food Security Annual Program Statement: No.7200AA20APS00003 Page 2 detailed in Section D.V.f. The registration process may take many weeks to complete.

Therefore, applicants are encouraged to begin registration early in the process.

Please send any questions to the point(s) of contact identified in Section D. The deadline for questions on the APS is shown above. Responses to questions on the APS received prior to the deadline will be furnished to all potential applicants through an amendment to this notice posted to www.grants.gov.

This Annual Program Statement is unfunded, and issuance of this APS does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government, nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of comments/suggestions or an application.

Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, /s/

Matthew Case Agreement Officer

Agricultural Biotechnology for Global Food Security Annual Program Statement: No.7200AA20APS00003 Page 3

Table of Contents

Section A: Background and Program Description ………………………………………….…Pg 4

Section B – Federal Award Information……………………………………………………...Pg 23

Section C – Eligibility Information………………………………………………………..…Pg 26

Section D – Application and Submission Information……………………………………….Pg 27

Section E – Application Review Information…………………………..…………………….Pg 43

Section F – Federal Award Administration Information………………………………….….Pg 44

Section G – Federal Awarding Agency Contacts…………………………………………… Pg 49

Section H – Information Protection…………………………………………………………. Pg 50

Section I: Additional Information on Award Administration …………………..…………... Pg 51

Agricultural Biotechnology for Global Food Security Annual Program Statement: No.7200AA20APS00003 Page 4

SECTION A: BACKGROUND AND PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

I: BACKGROUND

a. Definition of Agricultural Biotechnology Under this APS

For the purposes of this APS, “Agricultural Biotechnology” refers to the technologies used for the deliberate manipulation of an organism to introduce, remove, or modify one or more heritable characteristics of a product for agricultural use; and to overcome natural physiological reproductive or recombination barriers, with emphasis on in vitro nucleic acid techniques, including recombinant DNA or direct injection of nucleic acid into cells or organelles. Examples include, but are not limited to, “traditional” genetic engineering (GE) approaches (e.g.., transgenic organisms, genetically modified organisms, living modified organisms, etc.), and emerging approaches for gene editing and precision breeding (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9, TALENs, zinc-finger nucleases, etc.).

Within the scope of this definition of Agricultural Biotechnology, USAID includes under this

Agricultural Biotechnology APS all potential applications of agricultural biotechnology as a tool to achieve global food security objectives—ranging from crop improvement, livestock and veterinary applications, agricultural pest and disease control, to food safety and processing, and beyond.

Note that this definition of agricultural biotechnology specifically excludes technologies used in conventional breeding and selection, such as genomics- or marker-assisted breeding. It also excludes more broadly defined connotations of the term “agricultural biotechnology” as any application of biology to address agricultural challenges (such as rhizobial inoculants or tissue culture, for example). Though important in their own right, USAID supports such approaches under other Feed the Future programs.

b. USAID’s Approach to Global Food Security

The U.S. Government defines food security as the availability, utilization, and stability of sufficient food to meet caloric and nutritional needs for an active and healthy life. In the wake of the 2007/2008 global food price spikes, it was widely recognized that food security represents a pressing humanitarian challenge that has important consequences for global stability and security. In 2010, this led the U.S. Government to develop the Feed the Future Initiative -- its signature effort to reduce global hunger, undernutrition, and extreme poverty.

After an initial five-year period of food security programming in selected partner countries, Feed the Future’s track record of successful results and critical contributions to the U.S. economy, security and leadership culminated in the enactment of the 2016 Global Food Security Act

Agricultural Biotechnology for Global Food Security Annual Program Statement: No.7200AA20APS00003 Page 5

(GFSA).1 With its signature goals of sustainably reducing global hunger, malnutrition and poverty, the GFSA authorized a new phase of U.S. Government engagement in global food security programming.

To reflect changes in the global context since the initial launch of Feed the Future, as well as lessons learned during the initiative’s first phase, the GFSA called for a new, whole-ofgovernment strategy to focus and coordinate resources and programming across Feed the

Future’s eleven U.S. Government partner agencies. The resulting 2017-2021 Global Food

Security Strategy (GFSS) describes in detail how the U.S. intends to direct Feed the Future resources and programming to achieve the topline goals of the GFSA (Figure 1).2

Figure 1. GFSS Results Framework (2017-2021).

1 https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1567 2 https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-securitystrategy https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1567 https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1567 https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1567 https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1567 https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1567 https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1567 https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1567 https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/us-government-global-food-security-strategy

Agricultural Biotechnology for Global Food Security Annual Program Statement: No.7200AA20APS00003 Page 6

The GFSS serves as the framework under which USAID and its inter-Agency partners currently design and implement all Feed the Future programs—including agricultural biotechnology programming planned under this APS.3 Collectively, Feed the Future programs under the GFSS contribute to three high-level development objectives:

1. Inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led growth.4

In development contexts, agricultural growth has been shown to be the most effective means for reducing poverty through direct and indirect pathways. Feed the Future programming therefore seeks to promote agriculture-led growth by increasing sustainable agricultural productivity; strengthening productive, profitable, inclusive agricultural systems; strengthening and expanding access to markets and trade; and increasing employment and entrepreneurship.

2. Strengthened resilience among people and systems.5

Resilience is the ability of people, households, communities, and systems to reduce, mitigate, adapt to and recover from shocks and stresses in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates inclusive growth. It is an essential condition for sustainably reducing global hunger, malnutrition, and poverty, as well as to reduce reliance upon emergency food assistance. Feed the Future programming therefore seeks to identify, develop, support, and strengthen resilience capacities across multiple scales by increasing sustainable agricultural productivity—particularly through climate-smart approaches;

improving proactive risk reduction, mitigation, and management; and improving adaptation to and recovery from shocks and stresses.

3. A well-nourished population, especially among women and children.5 Promoting the availability, access, and consumption of diverse, safe foods is a key element of food security under the GFSS. Using a multi-sectoral approach, Feed the Future applies both nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive approaches to increase consumption of nutritious and safe diets; increase use of direct nutrition interventions and services; and cultivate more hygienic household and community environments.

In addition to these three overarching strategic objectives, several other GFSS cross-cutting objectives and broader USAID strategic priorities are relevant to the design and implementation

3 Additional technical guidance regarding U.S. Government approaches to global food security can be found online at: https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/.

4 https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ 5 https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ and https://www.usaid.gov/resilience/resources 5 https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/guidance-and-tools-for-global-food-security-programs/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-agriculture-led-economic-growth/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-resilience/ https://www.usaid.gov/resilience/resources https://www.usaid.gov/resilience/resources https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-nutrition/

Agricultural Biotechnology for Global Food Security Annual Program Statement: No.7200AA20APS00003 Page 7 of Feed the Future programming, including programming in the area of agricultural biotechnology. These include:

4. Local Capacity Development and the Journey to Self-Reliance

Under the GFSS, USAID’s approach to improving human, organizational and system performance is rooted in local capacity development, a “process of unleashing, strengthening, and maintaining the ability of people, organizations, and society as a whole to manage their affairs successfully.”6 USAID strongly emphasizes the importance of capacity development to improve food security outcomes, impacts and sustainability by increasing local ownership through partnerships across all levels of society― government, civil society, the private sector, academia, etc.. This includes supporting partner countries’ capacity to plan, finance and implement solutions to local development challenges; and strengthening their commitment to see these through effectively, inclusively, and with accountability―or what USAID terms a country’s “journey to selfreliance.”7 (In this context, commitment refers to the degree to which a country’s actions―its laws, policies, informal norms and practices―enable it to address its development challenges.)

5. Country Ownership and Alignment with USAID Mission Objectives

The U.S. Government promotes sustainability and effectiveness by emphasizing local ownership of food security priorities and strategy, alignment around a country’s development strategy, and collaborative partnerships among development partners and local actors inspired by the values of the High Level Fora on Aid Effectiveness and outlined in the Paris Declaration and related partnership agreements. Within USAID’s internal organizational context, local USAID Missions lead the process of adapting the high-level priorities and principles of the GFSS to suit the unique priorities and context of their respective partner countries or regions. Through the development of Global Food

Security Plans for each GFSS Target Country and Region, USAID Missions and their inter-Agency partners coordinate across a variety of partners and resources to identify shared agricultural, resilience, and nutrition priorities for investment and programming, including the identification of focal value chains and market systems.8 USAID-funded agricultural research and development programs, projects, and activities therefore respond to global strategies such as the GFSS, but also contribute to country and regional agendas as articulated in these GFS Country and Regional Plans.

6 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development – Development Assistance Committee. (2006). The Challenge of Capacity Development: Working Towards Good Practice, Paris, http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/capacitybuilding/pdf/DAC_paper_final.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/selfreliance

8 See https://www.feedthefuture.gov/about/ for a list of GFSS target countries, and links to further countryspecific information.

http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/capacitybuilding/pdf/DAC_paper_final.pdf http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/capacitybuilding/pdf/DAC_paper_final.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/selfreliance https://www.usaid.gov/selfreliance https://www.usaid.gov/selfreliance https://www.usaid.gov/selfreliance https://www.feedthefuture.gov/about/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/about/

Agricultural Biotechnology for Global Food Security Annual Program Statement: No.7200AA20APS00003 Page 8

6. Partnership and Private Sector Engagement

The GFSS embraces partnerships with a wide range of development actors and groups across the public and private sectors in order to improve the reach, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of the U.S. Government’s food security efforts. Consistent with USAID’s 2018 Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Policy,9 Feed the Future programming particularly emphasizes engagement with a wide range of private-sector entities―including for-profit commercial entities and their affiliated foundations;

financial institutions, investors, and intermediaries; business associations and cooperatives; micro, small, medium and large enterprises that operate in the formal and informal sectors; local, regional, American, and multinational businesses; and for-profit approaches that generate sustainable income (e.g. a venture fund run by an NGO or social enterprise). By pursuing market-based approaches to achieve results, engaging with private-sector actors throughout design and implementation, and partnering with commercial partners that offer unique value, food security activities under the GFSS seek to address the scale and complexity of food security challenges effectively and sustainably.10

7. Increased Gender Equality and Female Empowerment

USAID policy requires that gender equality be addressed as appropriate in all

USAIDfunded activities, and programming contribute to Gender and Female

Empowerment Policy11 objectives and the GFSS Cross-cutting Intermediate Result of advancing gender equity and female empowerment.12 Accordingly, while not all Feed the

Future programming will specifically emphasize gender outcomes as a topline objective, all activities must be implemented in a gender-sensitive manner―developing knowledge, recommendations, tools, and strategies that recognize and account for the needs and multi-dimensional roles of both women and men in innovation, production and marketing systems. Gender analysis13 and integration must be implemented as a cross-cutting effort within all activities.

8. Increased Youth Empowerment and Livelihoods

In addition to the gender requirements noted above, the 2012 Youth in Development

9 https://pages.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/usaid_psepolicy_final_signed.pdf https://www.feedthefuture.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GFSS_TechnicalGuidance_Private%20Sector%20Engagement.pdf 11 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/GenderEqualityPolicy_0.pdf 12 https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ 13 The Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 codifies USAID's gender analysis requirements: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3247/text https://pages.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/usaid_psepolicy_final_signed.pdf https://pages.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/usaid_psepolicy_final_signed.pdf https://pages.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/usaid_psepolicy_final_signed.pdf https://www.feedthefuture.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GFSS_TechnicalGuidance_Private%20Sector%20Engagement.pdf https://www.feedthefuture.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GFSS_TechnicalGuidance_Private%20Sector%20Engagement.pdf https://www.feedthefuture.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GFSS_TechnicalGuidance_Private%20Sector%20Engagement.pdf https://www.feedthefuture.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GFSS_TechnicalGuidance_Private%20Sector%20Engagement.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/GenderEqualityPolicy_0.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/GenderEqualityPolicy_0.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/GenderEqualityPolicy_0.pdf https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-advancing-gender-equality-and-female-empowerment/ https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3247/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3247/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3247/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3247/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3247/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3247/text

Agricultural Biotechnology for Global Food Security Annual Program Statement: No.7200AA20APS00003 Page 9

Policy14 mandates the inclusion of youth (ages 10 – 29) across USAID’s portfolio, while the GFSS has committed itself to mainstreaming youth in agriculture, food security and nutrition using a Positive Youth Development framework.15 Accordingly, while not all

Feed the Future programming will specifically emphasize youth outcomes as a topline objective, all activities must be implemented in a youth-sensitive manner, by developing knowledge, recommendations, tools, and strategies that recognize and account for the needs and multi-dimensional roles of youth in small-scale production and marketing systems, with youth analysis and inclusion implemented as a cross-cutting effort within all activities.

9. Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA)

Strategic collaboration, continuous learning, and adaptive management are a set of practices that link together all components of USAID’s Program Cycle. This linkage ensures that the U.S. Government’s international development programming is coordinated with others, grounded in a strong evidence base, and iteratively adapted to remain relevant throughout implementation.16 Those designing and implementing

USAID activities are expected to systematically apply CLA approaches. Implementing partners assume particular responsibility for monitoring progress, evaluating impact, and adapting activities in response to new evidence or changing circumstances to improve development outcomes and ensure accountability for the resources used to achieve them.

In particular, strong Knowledge Management (KM) and communications practices are essential in order for USAID and its partners to ensure that knowledge is generated, captured, shared, and applied systematically and strategically so there is continuous learning, effective engagement, and organizational improvement. Effective KM and communication also helps stimulate innovative ideas, capitalize on effective practices, foster better decision-making and build a more informed workforce.

c. The Research-to-Scaling Continuum under the Global Food Security Strategy

Achieving the U.S. Government’s high-level food security and development goals in a complex, dynamic global context requires innovative approaches. Accordingly, research and innovation are a fundamental part of Feed the Future: The GFSA explicitly calls for U.S. investments to

“harness science, technology and innovation,” and the GFSS highlights that research investments

“ensure a pipeline of innovations, tools and approaches designed to improve agriculture, food security, resilience and nutrition priorities in the face of complex, dynamic challenges.”

To ensure that Feed the Future strategically leverages U.S. scientific capabilities and resources to catalyze global food security efforts, the 2017 Global Food Security Research Strategy17

14 https://www.usaid.gov/policy/youth 15 https://www.youthpower.org/positive-youth-development-toolkit 16 See https://usaidlearninglab.org/ or https://www.agrilinks.org/topics/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning for further information and resources.

17 https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.usaid.gov/policy/youth https://www.usaid.gov/policy/youth https://www.youthpower.org/positive-youth-development-toolkit https://www.youthpower.org/positive-youth-development-toolkit https://www.youthpower.org/positive-youth-development-toolkit https://www.youthpower.org/positive-youth-development-toolkit https://www.youthpower.org/positive-youth-development-toolkit https://www.youthpower.org/positive-youth-development-toolkit https://www.youthpower.org/positive-youth-development-toolkit https://www.youthpower.org/positive-youth-development-toolkit https://www.youthpower.org/positive-youth-development-toolkit https://usaidlearninglab.org/ https://usaidlearninglab.org/ https://www.agrilinks.org/topics/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning https://www.agrilinks.org/topics/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning https://www.agrilinks.org/topics/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning https://www.agrilinks.org/topics/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning https://www.agrilinks.org/topics/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning https://www.agrilinks.org/topics/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning https://www.agrilinks.org/topics/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning https://www.agrilinks.org/topics/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning https://www.agrilinks.org/topics/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/the-u-s-government-s-global-food-security-research-strategy/

Agricultural Biotechnology for Global Food Security Annual Program Statement: No.7200AA20APS00003 Page 10 describes how Feed the Future programming will direct its food security research-fordevelopment investments in order to best support GFSS development objectives.

To accomplish this, Feed the Future research programs emphasize applied and adaptive research, linking global, regional, and national research partners to identify and adapt promising methodologies and technologies for local farming systems in developing countries, and to intensify and diversify major production systems where the poor and undernourished are concentrated. In doing so, research investment spans a wide array of technical themes and approaches―including (but not limited to) crop and livestock improvement; post-harvest loss reduction; nutrition and food safety; sustainable intensification of farming systems; natural resource management; and socioeconomic and policy research. Within this broader research context, agricultural biotechnology represents a powerful set of scientific tools, with the potential to enable transformative innovation across a variety of research domains.

As described in the GFS Research Strategy, research represents one stage within a continuous, iterative process by which new food security innovations (including technologies, practices, and knowledge) are developed, disseminated, adopted, and used in order to enhance prosperity, resilience, and nutrition. The continuous nature of this process is particularly worth noting, as

USAID agricultural biotechnology programming under this APS may include activities at all phases of the research-to-development pipeline.

In order for new innovations to ultimately yield maximum impact in developing countries, a facilitative approach is typically required to move from the research stage, to initial adoption by a small number of direct beneficiaries, and ultimately to achieve widespread, sustained adoption at the population level (e.g., hundreds of thousands to millions, depending on the innovation and context). To successfully achieve technology scaling―the process by which a technology is sustainably adopted by a progressively larger number of users over time―USAID’s investments in research and innovation emphasize continuity throughout and beyond the research phase.18 In order to maximize the potential for research outputs to ultimately achieve development impact, USAID ensures that best practices to promote technology scaling are integrated into research activities from the earliest stages of design and implementation. These include:

1. Gathering and applying market intelligence about the products and traits desired by intended beneficiaries, to inform early-stage research and product design.

2. During initial R&D activity design and implementation, identifying potential product delivery and dissemination pathways that will ultimately support the diffusion of an innovation.

3. Cultivating active and increasing collaboration between researchers and potential scaling partners as innovations advance through the research and development process, beginning with the earliest phase of research prioritization and design.

18 https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-scaling/

Agricultural Biotechnology for Global Food Security Annual Program Statement: No.7200AA20APS00003 Page 11

4. Using participatory research methodologies that engage intended end-users and potential public or private sector disseminators in co-design and testing of innovations, ensuring that traits and characteristics preferred downstream are selected for early in the research process.

5. Soliciting and responding to ongoing, iterative feedback from end-users, stakeholders and technology scaling partners to inform upstream research activities throughout the research pipeline.

To facilitate successful technology scaling, USAID agricultural development approaches particularly consider the structure and function of local product supply and distribution systems, in order to promote effective, equitable dissemination of agricultural inputs and other technologies to their intended beneficiaries.19

d. Enabling Systems for Innovation and Market Function

To successfully advance agricultural technologies from inception through research, development, and scaling―and ultimately to achieve widespread food security benefits―a network of actors must perform the underlying scientific, extension, and market functions that support these processes. Through concepts such as Agricultural Innovation Systems20 and Inclusive Market

Systems,21 USAID emphasizes development approaches that not only supply new technologies, but also strengthen the enabling system of organizations, relationships, and processes that enable their development and dissemination in partner countries.

USAID’s innovation- and market-systems approaches rely on facilitation of local systems―the interconnected sets of producers, market actors, researchers, and consumers, including governments, civil society, the private sector, universities, individual citizens, and others―to collectively drive sustainable innovation and market development.23 Such approaches foster productive interactions between individuals and organizations across the domains of research and education; the private sector and markets; and agricultural extension and other “bridging institutions” across these various domains. They also expand focus from the farm level to include a broader perspective on all functions and relationships along a value chain, as well as consider and contribute to the broader agriculture enabling environment―which comprises all of the informal and formal norms, traditions, customs, laws, regulations, policies, trade agreements, and infrastructure that drive behavior and decisions within the system.

19 For example, seed-system analyses are important to inform programming and engagement on improved crop varieties; further information available at https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengtheningearly-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond) 20 https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/ 21 https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-guidance-on-market-systems-and-value-chains/ 23 https://www.usaid.gov/policy/local-systems-framework https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.agrilinks.org/events/strengthening-early-generation-seed-systems-africa-and-beyond https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/ https://www.feedthefuture.gov/resource/global-food-security-strategy-technical-guidance-on-capacity-development/…