Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program (Indigenous Animals Grants or IAG). The Indigenous Animals Grants are administered by the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), an agency within USDA Rural Development, in partnership with the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and in consultation with the Office of Tribal Relations (OTR). This program is designed to support the priorities tribal nations have articulated to USDA throughout consultations in 2021 and 2022, including but not limited to support for traditional harvesting methods, indigenous animals, and community animal protein processing operations. Funding of this program will address needs for local animal protein processing capacity in tribal communities and tribal foods supply chains. The primary purpose of all projects must be to expand or enhance animal protein processing capacity in Indian Country. Applicants may also propose other related activities in their project plans. USDA aims to fund a portfolio of projects representing geographic diversity, indigenous animal diversity, model diversity (mobile processing, multi-tribal, etc.), and scale diversity that reflects priorities tribal nations have identified as necessary to support indigenous foods, processing practices, and food systems. Outcomes of these projects will also provide valuable data to USDA on species which are uncommon in other federal meat and poultry programs.