Under the Programmatic leadership of Professor James E. Simon, the New Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products Program in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), Rutgers-the State University and the NJAES has a core mission to develop new crops/plants and to identify and develop new uses for plants and plants. 

The NUANPP at Rutgers focuses on the development of new crops and plant products, ethnic produce, the identification of new bioactive compounds, new uses of plants and plant products, and the botanical standardization of phytomedicines. NUANPP serves as a research center for several national and international research and development projects including, the Partnership for Food Industry Development/ Natural Products (PFID/NP), which seeks to commercialize natural products for sub-Saharan African farmers utilizing a market driven model of development. Our program is currently working formally in over five different African countries providing technical support and expertise in plant improvement, germplasm evaluation, chemistry, quality control and the introduction of new technologies.