The United States Agency for International Development awarded six universities, including Iowa State, a grant to work with agriculture universities in India.

Iowa State was awarded a $299,000 grant more than three years to work with five U.S. universities and the University of Agriculture in Bangalore, India, to build sustainable agriculture and economic policies to help solve the India’s problems with food resources, said Ricardo Salvador, associate professor of agronomy.

The other five schools Iowa State will be working with are Cornell University, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Purdue University and the University of California.

The grants were initiated in the 1950s to build agriculture land grant universities in India that were modeled after those in the United States, like Iowa State.

This is the first time Iowa State will participate in this program, said Ramesh Kanwar, chairman and professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and coordinator of the ISU partnership.

“This opportunity is great for Iowa State,” Kanwar said. “It shows that ISU can compete and be involved globally.”

ISU professors and researchers will work to improve India’s lack of food resources by showing farmers how to implement alternative farming without affecting production, said Ricardo Salvador, associate professor of agronomy.

Salvador said Iowa State will focus on teaching Indian farmers about crop and livestock production; however, this will not be the only focus.

He said they will also emphasize the economy of the local industries in sustaining the livelihood of the community.

One proposed goal is upgrading industrial facilities, which will stabilize the rural communities, because with improved industry, the citizens of the community can make better wages, said Robert Jolly, professor of economics. With increased wages, people can afford to purchase the farmers’ product, Jolly said. Farmers can then make a profit and the citizens have a food source within their community.

As outsiders, Iowa State and the other U.S. universities will be able to evaluate what is working well in the nation regarding food resources and then duplicate it throughout the country.

Although faculty are working with only one university in India, they have high hopes the changes they propose will have an impact on India’s entire network of agriculture universities, Salvador said.

Jolly said the emphasis on agriculture and higher education with India is a nice change for the United States.

“There is a big difference in reading about something and actually experiencing it,” Jolly said.

“We’re excited; India is second only to China in number of mouths to feed.”

The opportunity will give him international experience he will be able to incorporate into his classroom and share with students. Jolly said he is looking forward to the professional challenges involved with the project and the better understanding of the world food market this program will give him.

Those involved will make several short trips to India over the next three years implementing the programs and changes. The faculty from India will also be visiting the U.S. universities participating in the program.