Initial funding for FoodSHIELD was provided by grants from U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food Protection and Defense Institute (FPDI), a Homeland Security Center of Excellence. FoodSHIELD start-up development has occurred under a USDA CSREES grant to AFDO, FPDI and University of Minnesota researchers.
FoodSHIELD is the largest portal on the CoreSHIELD platform. CoreSHIELD operates on a collaboration model in which infrastructure and costs are shared among stakeholders and sponsors. Following initial development, FoodSHIELD operational costs were co-funded by the FDA, USDA, and DHS. Currently, the FDA, through an Integrated Food Safety System grant, is the primary funder of the FoodSHIELD platform. In addition, the IFSS funding supports portals for the Coalition of Food Protection State Task Forces, the Partnership for Food Protection, and the Animal Feed Network and partnerships for several multi-agency initiatives. The USDA provides funding for the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) and the APHIS Laboratory Network (NAHLN) portals.
FoodSHIELD is also supported through its partnership with the Association of Food and Drug Officials. AFDO has provided contributions through both direct costs and in-kind contributions of over 200 state officials who firmly believe in FoodSHIELD's potential.
By combining funding from multiple agencies, FoodSHIELD allows stakeholders to leverage existing investments in technology and through this common integration build from the best ideas of all stakeholders.
