Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab

Packaging regulations for food products around the world are rapidly evolving, driving demand for new technologies and solutions to meet foreign requirements that limit single-use and plastic packaging. To accelerate packaging innovation in support of the U.S. produce sector, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) has launched the $10 million Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab (SPIL) as part of the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports (ASCE) initiative. 

Packaging plays an important role in the transportation and export of fresh fruits and vegetables and other specialty crops, ensuring food safety and quality from the farm to the consumer’s table and supporting production traceability. 

Through a competitive application process, USDA FAS selected Clemson University and the Foundation for Fresh Produce of the International Fresh Produce Association to lead the SPIL, in partnership with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) to administer this program. The SPIL will fund research projects for innovative packaging solutions to support U.S. fresh produce exporters, including the development and commercialization of packaging and packaging alternatives for fresh produce.

The application period for SPIL research projects is from December 11, 2024, until February 12, 2025, and applicants should submit their applications through the FFAR portal. In addition to funding, awardees will gain access to collaboration and networking opportunities, fresh produce industry and consumer insights, life cycle analysis tools, and legal reviews of emergent packaging regulations. Eligible applicants include companies, institutions of higher education, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and government-affiliated researchers.

Interested applicants should review details and access the application portal here: https://foundationfar.org/grants-funding/opportunities/sustainable-packaging-innovation-lab/.