Who funds food systems research?

We count 158 funded food systems projects, active between 2021 and 2034, from 7 funders. The most came from EU · Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (53 projects), USDA (28 projects) and Gates Foundation (16 projects). The median award is $2.6M, across the 154 of 158 projects that list an amount.

Funded projects

158

Funders

7

Median award

$2.6M

Open calls now

4

Top funders of food systems research

Projects whose title or summary mentions food systems. Median award: of the projects that list an amount, in US dollars; “—” when fewer than 3 do.

Open food systems funding calls

4 open calls mention food systems today.

• Empowering local urban food systems entrepreneurship and innovation
  European Commission · Horizon EuropeUp to €6,000,000Deadline: September 23, 2027 ·
• Towards commercialization of food systems microbiome solutions
  European Commission · Horizon Europe€7,000,000 – €8,000,000Deadline: September 23, 2027 ·
• Tribal Colleges Extension Program Special Emphasis
  National Institute of Food and Agriculture$50,000 – $200,000Deadline: November 2, 2026 ·
• FutureFoodS Call 3 (GETS) – Pre-announcement
  Research Council of NorwayNot specifiedDeadline: January 11, 2027 ·

Funded food systems projects

A sample, latest start first, at most three per program.

• Foodborne illness remains a significant public health challenge in the united states, causing widespread illness, disrupting food systems…
  USDA · $50,000 · ends 2030
• Towards the full cost of diets: valuing and attributing food system externalities to improve decision-making for human and planetary health
  Wellcome · £2,927,541 · ends 2030
• Proposal summarythe fort hall frtep agricultural extension program provides research-based education, technical assistance, and applied…
  USDA · $102,000 · ends 2030
• The university of idaho coeur d'alene (cda) reservation extension program has provided culturally grounded, research-based educational…
  USDA · $102,000 · ends 2030
• Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems - Southern Africa (SHEFS-SA)
  Wellcome · £6,369,109 · ends 2030
• CoCentre for Sustainable Food Systems
  UKRI · ISPF · £6,280,664 · ends 2030
• College of Medicine, University of Ibadan — Agricultural Development
  Gates Foundation · $1,199,942 · ends 2029
• Pan-Atlantic University Foundation — Agricultural Development
  Gates Foundation · $3,893,825 · ends 2029
• A Century of Propertising Plants: examining the role of intellectual property law in protecting biodiversity and food security
  UKRI · UKRI FLF · £855,698 · ends 2029
• From Food Consumers to Food Citizens: tracing the Emergence of an Alternative Food Network in Folkstone, England.
  UKRI · SPF · ends 2029

How we count

Funded projects come from public award records (NIH RePORTER, NSF, EU CORDIS, UKRI Gateway to Research, Wellcome, the Gates Foundation, DOE, NASA and USDA NIFA) whose title or summary matches “food system or food systems”. NIH lists each budget year separately; one project counts once. Amounts are as the funder lists them; medians use only projects that list one, in US dollars. Open calls and forecasts are from our listings of October 28, 2026. A project can mention a topic without being mainly about it, so treat the counts as a guide to who funds the area.