Building Resilience in Agriculture

The National Geographic Society, in partnership with PepsiCo, has issued a Request for Proposals titled “Building Resilience in Agriculture.” The initiative responds to the critical global challenge posed by climate change to agriculture, a sector that sustains the livelihoods of one-third of the world’s population and occupies half of all habitable land. Agricultural systems are increasingly vulnerable to changing weather patterns, deteriorating soil health, pest and disease outbreaks, and other stressors. This funding opportunity aims to support real-world, science-driven, and nature-positive solutions that strengthen the resilience of farms, farming communities, and the ecosystems surrounding them. Through this impact-driven collaboration, the National Geographic Society and PepsiCo are inviting applicants to submit project proposals that demonstrate regenerative practices and measurable outcomes. The program encourages solutions that foster improvements across at least two of the following key areas: soil health, climate mitigation and adaptation, watershed health, biodiversity, and livelihoods. Proposals must focus on the application and testing of innovative practices in the field—on farms, in farming communities, or in landscapes adjacent to cultivated land. Projects should involve terrestrial food crops such as corn, wheat, oats, potatoes, sugar beets, oilseeds (e.g., canola, sunflower, rice bran), rice, cocoa, oil palm, raisins, and soy. Applications must address not only the environmental outcomes but also assess the social, economic, and cultural feasibility of implementing and scaling proposed solutions. Importantly, projects must be led or co-led by individuals or organizations with relevant local farming experience and should follow both FAIR and CARE principles for ethical engagement. The funders are particularly interested in applied science-based approaches that tackle localized barriers to regenerative agriculture. Basic research or purely technology-driven proposals, projects requiring land conversion, or those focused on non-food or livestock agriculture are not eligible. This opportunity is designated as a Level II grant, intended for experienced project leaders. Applicants must be over 18 years of age and are not required to have previous funding from the National Geographic Society. Project budgets must not exceed $150,000 and should be completed within two years of award receipt. Applications are to be submitted in English via the application portal; submissions via email or postal mail will not be accepted. Projects that do not include a substantial field-based component or local collaborator expertise will be disqualified. To assist applicants, the National Geographic Society will host three one-hour informational webinars on August 5, August 7, and September 8, 2025. These sessions will provide an overview of the RFP and allow prospective applicants to ask questions. Participation in more than one webinar is not necessary, as each will cover the same material. Registration is required in advance. Applications must be submitted no later than September 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM EDT. Selected grantees will be notified in January 2026. Recipients will become part of the National Geographic Explorer Community and may be invited to travel to Europe shortly after award notification. Additionally, they will participate in a multi-day convening at the Society’s Base Camp headquarters in Washington, DC. Selected grantees may also receive additional mentorship, training, and communications support, including possible media coverage of their projects and outcomes. For any questions not addressed in the RFP or FAQ document, applicants are encouraged to contact the Society at funding@ngs.org with “Building Resilience in Agriculture RfP” in the subject line.

Projects should align with FAIR and CARE principles, include local collaborators, and be grounded in measurable, field-based regenerative practices.