Canndigenous: First Indigenous-Owned Company Awarded USDA Climate-Smart Commodities Grant

Wisconsin-based hemp company Canndigenous, in partnership with Iconoclast Industries and several university and business partners, has been awarded a $15 million grant for its “Industrial Hemp for Fiber and Grain” project by the USDA to fund the research and development of hemp as a climate-smart commodity. Canndigenous is the only tribal-member owned entity to receive funding from this USDA program to date, making the award a significant milestone for Indigenous entrepreneurship.

"The USDA moves the needle in the right direction by investing in climate-smart consumable products and incentivizing businesses like Canndigenous to raise the bar,” said Canndigenous founder and member of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians Rob Pero, praising the USDA. “We are committed to bringing the industry forward and making ambitious contributions to decarbon our world.”

Led by Iconoclast Industries, the “Industrial Hemp for Fiber and Grain” project will use the $15 million grant to support the expansion of climate-smart markets by providing open-access data and training on how to monetize climate-smart practices through a digital marketplace pilot. The project will also establish an inclusive workforce to engage with and financially support underserved producers as they learn the climate-smart practices in Florida, New York, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

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