Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative Extension Disaster Education Network

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USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) supports the resilience of the U.S. food and agriculture sector to biosecurity risks, extreme weather events and disasters, cyber threats, and other shocks through the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative Extension Disaster Education Network (FADI-EDEN) funding opportunity . It is necessary to mitigate threats to sustain the overall competitiveness of U.S. agriculture to maintain an abundant food supply for people and livestock, to support the farmers, ranchers and workers who drive the U.S. food and agriculture sector, and to sustain the vitality of rural communities, rural and urban agriculture infrastructure, and agricultural businesses. Historically, a strength of the FADI-EDEN program has been its ties to the Extension Disaster Education Network which is a national, collaborative network of Extension professionals who are dedicated to improved all-hazards management of domestic disasters and who have expertise in agriculture and natural resources, individual and family health and well-being, positive youth development, and community and economic development. Through the Network, Extension professionals collaborate to respond to incidents that impact the U.S. food and agriculture sector; create and deliver educational resources and experiences aimed at the phases of the disaster management cycle (preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation); develop and/or enhance their skills and expertise; and partner with local, state, regional, and federal organizations and agencies to strengthen collaborations and reduce duplication of efforts and services. EDEN offers a searchable database of Extension professionals, resources, member universities and disaster agency websites, education materials to help people deal with a wide range of hazards, and food and agricultural defense educational resources. EDEN’s 2023-2025 strategic plan outlines the Network's priorities related to strategic structure and management, targeted communication and outreach, and disaster management education.

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