Our Story
Established to serve global horticulture needs
Phase I (2009 – 2014)
In 2009, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) selected the University of California, Davis, to lead an international effort to help focus countries out of poverty through improved marketing and production of high-value horticultural crops. At the time, the new program was called the Horticulture Collaborative Research Support Program and was funded for a minimum of five years with $14.6 million.
Called "Hort CRSP" colloquially, the program supported projects to improve the livelihoods of the world's poor and built on needs highlighted in the Global Horticulture Assessment.
The program was originally founded with four partner institutions:
- University of California, Davis
- Cornell University
- North Carolina State University
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
At the time, the program joined nine other Collaborative Research Support Programs across the country, each funded by USAID and led by U.S. university researchers to advance food security, strengthen international agricultural research, and build capacity. The CRSPs were originally created in 1977 under Title XII of the International Development and Food Assistance Act of 1975.
Expanding research and technologies
Phase II (2014 – 2019)
In 2014, the program's name was changed to "Horticulture Innovation Lab," and USAID awarded an additional $18.75 million to UC Davis to continue leading the program for five more years. The second phase of the program was awarded to UC Davis with partner institutions:
In 2015 and 2016, the Horticulture Innovation Lab funded major research projects focused on nutrition, gender equity and postharvest losses, as well as the scaling of technologies and techniques found to be successful in the program's earlier work.
See more about the Horticulture Innovation Lab's projects throughout the world. To scale up research results and new horticultural technologies, the Horticulture Innovation Lab also funds Regional Centers to serve as hubs for horticultural knowledge, technologies, and training.
Inclusive development and empowering local leadership
Phase III (2021 – 2025)
In 2021, USAID awarded the Horticulture Innovation Lab a $15 million investment over the next five years, with up to $34.5 million total funding possible, to support the advances fruit and vegetable production, handling, and consumption. After 16 transformative years advancing horticultural science and improving livelihoods globally, the program closed ahead of schedule, on April 30, 2025, following changes in U.S. foreign assistance priorities.
This third phase of the program included UC Davis in collaboration with the following consortium institutions:
- World Vegetable Center
- Texas A&M Borlaug Institute
- Michigan State University
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
specialists from:
and scaling partners based at:
Furthermore, research projects guided by local priorities, were locally managed by four Regional Hubs based at the following partner organizations:
- East Africa Regional Hub, International Center for Evaluation and Development
- West Africa Regional Hub, University of Ghana
- Central American Regional Hub, Zamorano University
- South Asia Regional Hub, FORWARD Nepal
Program milestone announcements
- 2023: Chair of Feed the Future Innovation Labs hosts Regional Partners Meeting on behalf of USAID
- 2023: New Portfolio of Regionally-led Research Initiatives
- 2021: USAID Awards UC Davis $15 Million for Global Horticulture Research Program
- 2019: Completion of second 5-year grant
- 2016: Highlighting horticultural success in 2016
- 2016: Associate award starts in Guatemala
- 2015: New horticulture projects in developing countries
- 2014: New grant continues program for five more years
- 2014: New program name
- 2013: Three 'Regional Centers' now open in Asia, Africa, and Central America
- 2009: New horticulture program to span globe
Additional history announcements, program news and annual reports.