First Nations Development Institute, believes that reclaiming control over local food systems is an important step toward ensuring the long-lasting health and economic well-being of Native people and communities. Native food system control has the potential to increase food production, improve health and nutrition, and eliminate food insecurity in rural and reservation-based communities, while also promoting entrepreneurship and economic development.
The Native Agriculture and Food Systems Scholarships encourage more Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian college students to enter agriculture and food systems fields so that they can better assist their communities with their food systems efforts.
First Nations will award scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic school year to Native college students majoring in agriculture and agriculture-related fields, including but not limited to, agribusiness management, agri-science technologies, agronomy, animal husbandry, aquaponics, environmental studies, fisheries and wildlife, food production and safety, food-related policy and legislation, food science and technology, horticulture, irrigation science, and sustainable agriculture or food systems.