After Dr. Kissinger’s offer, work began immediately on a proposal to fulfill this pledge. USAID, again at the urging of Sir John Crawford, drew up a plan. The first plan was for an "International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI)." IPNI envisioned three program components:

1. Work on chemical fertilizers – to deal with all aspects of fertilizer from raw materials to finished products at the farm gate including marketing, handling, storage, distribution, packaging, quality control, etc., to provide better and more efficient fertilizers at the lowest possible price.

2. Biological nitrogen fixation – to evaluate the potential for and develop, where feasible, ways in which biological nitrogen fixation could contribute to food production thus reducing the amount of chemical N fertilizers that would be needed.

3. The recycling and better utilization of organic wastes – from urban, industrial, and crop residue sources; a broad assignment when one considers the variations in organic wastes that occur worldwide.

The TAC briefly discussed the IPNI proposal, concluded much could be done on chemical fertilizers in a short period of time, and urged USAID to move ahead on the first component. The other two components would be deferred for further study.

To take advantage of the technology available from the United States, the role that TVA could and should play was sought. Although TVA had been active from the mid-1960s in support of USAID programs, the Board of Directors of TVA in 1974 thought TVA could go no further without new legislation. The TVA Board then suggested that the new initiative take on a separate form. TVA did, however, pledge its full cooperation and its fertilizer technology. It further offered a site at its Muscle Shoals location so that close cooperation between the Organization of Agricultural and Chemical Development (OACD) of TVA and the new institution could be ensured.

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