We deliver conservation solutions so agricultural producers can protect natural resources and feed a growing world.
The purpose of the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program is to encourage the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while supporting agricultural production in the United States and its territories. The program aims to facilitate the transformation of conservation ideas into practices that can be utilized by farmers, incorporated into government guides, or adopted by the private sector. Funded initiatives may include pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research to explore specific conservation questions using valid scientific methods. Although CIG does not serve as a direct financial assistance program for producers, it seeks to generate outcomes that are beneficial across a state or a particular region rather than to individual farms alone. Special emphasis is placed on projects that promote climate-smart agriculture by improving soil carbon, and reducing emissions and nitrogen losses, supporting both agricultural and nonindustrial private forest lands in their conservation efforts.