The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today a $9 million investment in new Cooperative Extension and USDA Climate Hubs partnerships
to bolster climate research and connect and share climate-smart solutions
directly with the agricultural community.
“The Cooperative Extension system and the USDA Climate Hubs have unmatched capacity to reach agricultural, Tribal and underserved communities, as well as educators and students, and our nation’s farmers directly,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This partnership will strengthen climate research efforts and accelerate the development, adoption and application of science-based, climate-smart practices that benefit everyone.”
This
investment is part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food
Research Initiative (AFRI), the nation’s leading competitive grants program for agricultural sciences. This new AFRI program area provides effective, translatable and scalable approaches to address climate change through regional partnerships, including the USDA Climate Hubs, and further extends outreach through organizations such as the Cooperative Extension Service.
“These new NIFA-funded projects will work toward net-zero emissions in agriculture, working lands and communities adapted to climate change, training a diverse workforce that can communicate and incorporate climate considerations into management and climate justice that is appropriate for unique U.S. agronomic conditions,” said NIFA Director Dr. Carrie Castille.
The
initial six funded projects include:
- University of California (Davis) will
develop multifaceted pathways with the California Climate Hub to
climate-smart agriculture through stakeholder needs assessments,
climate-smart agriculture trainings for technical service providers,
regional workshops for farmers and ranchers, and student education
with Extension service-learning opportunities. Participatory program
development and delivery through extensive network of stakeholders,
collaborators and supporters are at the core of this integrated
proposal. ($1,500,000)
- Pennsylvania State University will
create an education program to help private forests adapt and mitigate
climate change, prepare minority owners to take advantage of carbon
market opportunities, and prepare the forestry extension workforce to
better serve their clients in forest carbon and climate issues, in
collaboration with the Northern Forests and Southeast Climate Hubs.
($1,500,000)
- Montana State University will
collaborate with the Southwest and Northern Plains Climate Hub staff
and regional education and extension stakeholders to develop improved
educational materials, modes of communication, and issue expertise
that will help in assisting farmers and ranchers to better assess the
sources of past crop and livestock production losses due to weather
and climate disruption, as well as explore future projections for
these causes of loss. ($1,500,000)
- Ohio State University is partnering with the Midwest Climate Hub and multiple universities to increase Midwest adoption of regionally scalable climate-smart activities. The project will improve shared understanding of needs of the Midwest’s diverse stakeholders, develop shared roadmaps for livestock and cropping systems, elevate perspectives and voices of historically underserved communities including black and indigenous communities, and strengthen climate science infrastructure through a re-imagined Extension-Midwest Climate Hub partnership. ($1,500,000)
- The Desert Research Institute Native Climate (Reno,
Nevada) project team will strengthen the role of USDA Climate Hubs in
Indian country by enhancing Native agroecosystem resilience through
expansion of climate services and outreach in the Southwest and
Northern Plains Climate Hub regions. Activities are designed to foster
trust between Climate Hubs and Native farmers, ranchers, and resource
managers through equitable and culturally appropriate information
sharing, putting community at the center of solutions for climate
change and food and nutrition security. ($1,500,000)
- The USDA Caribbean Climate Hub is
partnering with minority-serving universities, including the
University of Puerto Rico and the University of the Virgin Islands
Extension, and non-profits to help historically underserved communities
throughout the U.S. Caribbean and other coastal areas adapt to a
rapidly changing climate and extreme weather events. They will develop
education and Extension programs aimed at increasing climate literacy
as well as helping land managers employ climate-smart agriculture and
forestry techniques. Educational materials will be created in Spanish
and English. ($1,500,000)
AFRI Background
AFRI
was established by Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill and re-authorized in the
2018 Farm Bill. The program was re-authorized to be funded at $700 million
a year, with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 funding AFRI at $435
million. NIFA provides AFRI grants to support research, education and
Extension activities in six Farm Bill priority areas: plant health and
production and plant products; animal health and production and animal
products; food safety, nutrition, and health; bioenergy, natural resources,
and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and agriculture
economics and rural communities. Learn more about AFRI.
USDA Climate Hubs Background
USDA's Climate Hubs are
a unique collaboration across the Department's agencies. They are led by
the Agricultural Research Service and Forest Service located at 10 regional
locations, with contributions from other USDA agencies including the
Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service, and the Risk Management Agency. The Climate
Hubs link USDA research and program agencies in their region with the
delivery of timely and authoritative tools and information to agricultural
producers and professionals.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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