The Horticulture Innovation Lab's global research network advances fruit and vegetable innovations for farmers to earn more income while better nourishing their communities. The program is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and led by a team at the University of California, Davis, as part of the U.S. government's Feed the Future initiative. The Feed the Future ‘Innovation Labs’ are codified under the Global Food Security Act (GFSA).  First passed in 2016 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, it was reauthorized in 2018 and signed into law.

The Horticulture Innovation Lab leads projects that build the capacity of local actors across the horticulture value chain, helping smallholder farmers improve their ability to grow, store, and sell high-value fruits and vegetables.  These crops play a crucial role in U.S. fruit and vegetable supply chains, serving as vital imports during the off-season. 

Improving livelihoods — through higher profits and diversified, nutrient-rich diets — is a primary goal for the Horticulture Innovation Lab's research efforts, strategically creating stability in regions where farming is the primary economic driver. The program’s work is guided by improving information access, targeting innovative technologies and increasing research capacity, while supporting diplomatic and economic interests and influence abroad for the benefit of the American people.

Horticulture Innovation Lab's projects span the value chain of fruit and vegetable production, from seed systems to postharvest processing. Collaborations have included more than 18 U.S. universities and 200 organizations in more than 30 countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Through partnerships and collaborative research, the program also aims to build the capacity of researchers, institutions and farmers to advance horticultural science and ultimately reduce the need for foreign aid in the long term.

Goals and objectives

Program Goals: Through collaborative research, extension, and capacity building, the Horticulture Innovation Lab works to build resilience and increase incomes by:

• Advancing horticultural science, from seed to consumption, both domestically and abroad
• Creating economic opportunities for small-scale producers and entrepreneurs
• Expanding horticultural and technological market and trade opportunities with the U.S  
• Improving diets and nutritional status
• Facilitating the exchange of innovative ideas and technologies

Program Objectives:

• Identify and address key knowledge gaps through research and development of innovative technologies.
• Increase stakeholder access to and adoption of reliable information and technologies to improve the horticulture value chain.
• Build capacity of stakeholders to conduct research and effectively apply and disseminate information and innovative technologies.