**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CLIMATE CHANGE IS PREDICTED TO SHIFT FARMING IN THE UNITED STATES NORTH INCLUDING TOWARDS THE CENTRAL APPALACHIAN (CA) REGION. THE CA REGION IS A SITE OF HISTORICAL RESOURCE EXTRACTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE. THUS, AS FARMING IN THE REGION INCREASES DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGES IT MUST BE DONE SUSTAINABLY AND EQUITABLY.AGROECOLOGY IS AN APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS THAT HELPS ATTEND TO CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION. HOWEVER, THERE IS INSUFFICIENT RESEARCH ON REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS AS IT PERTAINS TO AGROECOLOGY AND CLIMATE EFFORTS. MORE SPECIFICALLY, WE DO NOT KNOW HOW FOOD SYSTEM LEADERS IN CENTRAL APPALACHIA ARE RESPONDING TO CLIMATE CHANGE. SECOND, WE DO NOT KNOW HOW REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS MAY SUPPORT AGROECOLOGY VIA POLICY LEVERS. THIRD, REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS REQUIRE COORDINATION ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT CLIMATE RISKS ARE SHARED, BUT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACTION IS DIFFUSE AND UNCLEAR. JOINT FACT FINDING (JFF) IS A USEFUL METHODOLOGY FOR SUCH SITUATIONS, BUT IT HAS NOT YET BEEN APPLIED TO REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM GOVERNANCE. GIVEN THESE GAPS, THIS WORK ADVANCES THREE OBJECTIVES: 1) DETERMINE HOW FOOD SYSTEM LEADERS ARE RESPONDING TO CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH POLICY, 2) JOINTLY IDENTIFY AGROECOLOGICAL AND CLIMATE-ADAPTIVE POLICIES, AND 3) IDENTIFY HOW THE PARTICIPATORY METHODOLOGY OF JOINT FACT FINDING (JFF) MAY SUPPORT REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM GOVERNANCE WHERE RESPONSIBILITY IS SHARED AND DIFFUSE.THIS INTEGRATED RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROJECT WILL USE MULTIPLE DATA COLLECTION METHODS TO ACHIEVE THESE AIMS GUIDED BY THE OVERARCHING METHODOLOGY OF JOINT FACT FINDING. FIRST, AS THE PROJECT IS PARTICIPATORY, THE PROJECT WILL CONVENE A FOOD SYSTEM LEADERS COMMITTEE FROM THE CA REGION WITH WHOM THE JFF METHODOLOGY WILL BE ADVANCED. RESEARCH ACTIVITIESWILL INCLUDE A QUANTITATIVE SURVEY ADMINISTERED TO STAKEHOLDERS AND LEADERS OF FOOD SYSTEM ORGANIZATIONS,INTERVIEWS WITH FOOD SYSTEM LEADERS, AND THE COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF NARRATIVES. EXTENSION ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE TRAININGS,WORKSHOPS, AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF THE FOOD SYSTEM LEADERS COMMITTEE.AS A RESULT OF THESE EFFORTS, THIS PROJECT WILL IDENTIFY POLICY LEVERS TO SUPPORT AGROECOLOGY, REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS GOVERNANCE, AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION IN THE CENTRAL APPALACHIAN REGION. WHILE THE WORK IS REGIONALLY FOCUSED, WE ALSO EXPECT NATIONAL IMPLICATIONS. WE EXPECT ECONOMIC, COMMUNITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. FIRST, AGROECOLOGICAL AND REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVED LIVELIHOODS. SECOND, AGROECOLOGICAL FOOD SYSTEMS CAN BOLSTER AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIES WITHOUT FURTHERING ECONOMIC HARM OR ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE IN THE COMMUNITIES OF THE REGION.