**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE OVERALL AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES, TECHNIQUES AND KNOWLEDGE TO DRIVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF PAWPAW AS A COMMODITY. THE LAST DECADE HAS SEEN A CONSTRAINED GROWTH IN DEMAND FOR PAWPAW FRUIT AND DERIVED PRODUCTS, AS WELL AS A SLOWLY DEVELOPING PAWPAW PRODUCTION INDUSTRY THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE INCOME FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED FARMS IN SOME OF THE MOST ECONOMICALLY DEPRIVED REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES. THIS PROJECT PROPOSES THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE: 1) DEVELOP MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH OF THE PAWPAW VALUE CHAIN, 2) OPTIMIZE PAWPAW PROCESSING METHODS AND PULP QUALITY, USING TECHNOLOGY-RELEVANT EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE TO SMALL-SCALE FARMERS, BY: (I) EVALUATING YIELD, QUALITY AND MICROBIAL SAFETY OF PULP AND THE EFFICIENCY OF ALTERNATIVE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; AND (II) DETERMINING SENSORY ATTRIBUTES AND CONSUMERS' ACCEPTABILITY FOR PULP AND PULP PRODUCTS PROCESSED FROM WILD- AND ORCHARD-GROWN FRUIT, AND 3) TRANSFER A STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL AGENDA TO THE LEADING REPRESENTATIVE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, TRIGGERING CHANGES IN STAKEHOLDERS' BEHAVIOR, AND FACILITATING INFORMATION SHARING ACROSS VALUE CHAIN LINKS. OBJECTIVES WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH AN INTEGRATED RESEARCH AND EXTENSION APPROACH UTILIZING STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH VALUE CHAIN STAKEHOLDERS, ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF PAWPAW PULP, PANEL AND CONSUMER SENSORY ANALYSES, AND A ROBUST EXTENSION PROGRAM. THE PROPOSED PROJECT ALIGNS WITH PRIORITIES AND GOALS LISTED IN THE PROGRAM AREA BY RECOMMENDING MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONAL PROTOCOLS TO GUIDE INDUSTRY GROWTH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN UNPRIVILEGED REGIONS.