National Peanut Board Awards $450,000 in New Grants to Advance Peanut Allergy Research
Peanut farmers across the United States continue to invest in research, education, and promotion to support both their industry and the families who rely on peanut products every day. Peanut farmers invest each year into research, education, and promotion. One of the most impactful areas of investment has been long-term support for food allergy research, funded through the National Peanut Board (NPB) based in Atlanta.
This week, the National Peanut Board announced a significant new round of funding. They announced this week they have awarded another $450,000 in grants to nine different organizations to advance food allergy research and drive toward the total eradication of the peanut allergy. These grants target core areas of prevention, diagnosis, management, and treatment—the essential pillars for reducing and ultimately eliminating the prevalence of peanut allergy.
According to the announcement, “The grants support core areas of prevention, diagnosis, management, and treatment to help prevent the peanut allergy.” Full details of the newly funded projects are available on the National Peanut Board website.
Among the recipients, one standout recognition was awarded to an Emory University project. There was one special award that went to the Emory University Project, which honors DeeDee Darden, a peanut farmer from Virginia, as she sought out groundbreaking allergy research when she was on the board to support and lend today’s early introduction guidelines for peanut allergy prevention. Darden’s leadership played a key role in supporting studies that helped shape the now widely recommended early-introduction guidelines for infants.
This new funding continues a long-term commitment by America’s peanut farmers. But overall, it’s been a very good program that has worked well for the National Peanut Board, and the peanut farmers have invested about $32 million in this effort to eradicate the peanut allergy, and progress is being made. The impact is already being seen nationwide as more families adopt early introduction practices. They say they have saved a lot of kids this year with the early introduction of peanut butter when the kids are young.
As researchers push forward and peanut farmers continue their investment, momentum is building toward a future where peanut allergies are dramatically reduced—or eliminated entirely. The National Peanut Board’s commitment underscores the industry’s dedication not only to agricultural progress but also to public health and family well-being.
Audio Reporting by Tyron Spearman for Southeast AgNet.