(NAFB) – The National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced an investment of more than $15 million to support building new and better markets for American ag and rural communities.

“These critical research investments support the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of agriculture and rural communities,” says NIFA Director Carrie Castille. “Outcomes of this research will help with decision making, policy design, and implementation to enhance agricultural production systems and promote economic development and prosperity.”

The investment is through NIFA’s Agricultural Economics and Rural Communities program. The AERC addresses challenges facing the evolving agricultural sector within rural communities, including implications for food production and consumption and natural resources management to protect the environment in the face of increasing global demands for food production.

The AERC program also builds on the fundamental and applied knowledge foundation in food and agricultural sciences that’s critical for solving real-world problems. The funding will support 27 different projects at secondary education institutions.