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Council On Food, Agricultural And Resource Economics, Inc The

$135,722

Total funding

3

Grants

Funding over time

peak $95K · FY2021–22

$100K$75K$50K$25K$0

'21

'22

Funding mix

By agency

USDA$135,722 · 3

By mechanism

—$135,722 · 3

Investigators at Council On Food, Agricultural And Resource Economics, Inc The

Investigator-initiated All funding

Investigatorsi

Rising Stars

First grant in the last 5 yrs

Not enough data

Emerging Leaders

6–10 yrs in

Not enough data

All-Time

Most funded here, all years

Not enough data

Largest grants

WHILE ECONOMISTS RECOMMEND USING MARKET INCENTIVES, THERE IS WIDESPREAD REGULATION TO ACHIEVE AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES. WE PROPOSE TO HOLD A WORKSHOP TO EXPLAIN THIS REALITY USING MULTIPLE VANTAGE POINTS INCLUDING, POLITICAL ECONOMY, IRREVERSIBILITY, AND SUPPLY CHAIN PERSPECTIVES. WITH THESE PERSPECTIVES IN MIND, WE WILL OVERVIEW THE POLICY CHOICES OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND AGRICULTURAL POLICIES IN THE US, FOLLOWED BY A ROUNDTABLE AND A PUBLIC DISCUSSION.$50,000

· FY2022 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ARE COMPLEX, INTERCONNECTED, AND INTERDEPENDENT "SYSTEMS OF SYSTEMS" COVERING THE ENTIRE VALUE CHAIN, INCLUDING PRE-PRODUCTION, PRODUCTION, POSTHARVEST HANDLING, STORAGE, PROCESSING, PACKAGING, MARKETING, AND DISTRIBUTION. FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS CONSTITUTE MORE THAN 22% OF THE NATIONAL GDP AND EMPLOY NEARLY 28% OF THE NATION'S WORKFORCE. IN ADDITION, FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS CONNECT TO ALL MAJOR COMMERCIAL SECTORS OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY AND ARE CRITICAL TO NATIONAL SECURITY.THERE HAS BEEN AN IMPRESSIVE GROWTH IN FOOD PRODUCTIVITY TO MEET GLOBAL FOOD DEMAND. HOWEVER, U.S. FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS FACE ENORMOUS CHALLENGES TO INCREASE FOOD SUPPLY BY NEARLY 70% BY 2050 WHILE USING FEWER NATURAL RESOURCES AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING THE IMPACT ON THE HEALTH OF EARTH'S ECOSYSTEMS.CURRENT FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS HAVE EVOLVED AS LINEAR SYSTEMS; THEY USE RESOURCES TO MAKE PRODUCTS, USE PRODUCTS, AND DISCARD UNUSED PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES AS WASTE. IGNORING INEVITABLE FEEDBACK FROM THESE "END PRODUCTS" HAS CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO POLLUTION, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS. THE IDEA OF CIRCULARITY (LOOPING BACK RESOURCE-RICH MATERIALS FOR REUSE OR CHANNELING THEM FOR NEW USES) IS PERVASIVE IN NATURAL SYSTEMS (E.G., BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES). FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS ARE HETEROGENEOUS, MULTI-DIMENSIONAL, AND INTERDEPENDENT. THEY HAVE A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC SYSTEMS WHERE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF ONE IS DEPENDENT ON THE HEALTH OF THE OTHER.THE INCENTIVES, COSTS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF SWITCHING TO SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES ARE LIKELY TO BE SITE-SPECIFIC, FARMER-SPECIFIC, AND PRACTICE-SPECIFIC BUT ARE INFLUENCED BY LARGER SYSTEMS, E.G., GLOBAL MARKETS, THAT GENERATE SYSTEM-WIDE CONSEQUENCES. LARGE-SCALE ADOPTION OF SUCH PRACTICES LIKELY AFFECTS LAND RENTS AND FOOD AND BIOFUEL PRODUCTION COSTS. IN ADDITION, THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR'S CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION DECISIONS ARE AFFECTED BY TECHNOLOGIES AND RENEWABLE FUEL POLICY INTERVENTIONS IN OTHER SECTORS, SUCH AS THE ELECTRICITY AND TRANSPORTATION SECTORS. THE VARIED ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND DISSERVICES INVOLVED (SUCH AS SOIL CARBON SEQUESTRATION, DEGRADATION OF WATER QUALITY, DEPLETION OF WATER SOURCES, MAINTENANCE OF BIODIVERSITY, AND PROVISION OF OPEN SPACES) COMPOUND THE COMPLEXITY OF SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS. SINCE SOME MANAGEMENT PRACTICES WILL IMPROVE ONE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE WHILE WORSENING ANOTHER, FARMERS AND POLICYMAKERS MUST WEIGH THE TRADE-OFFS AND SYNERGIES ASSOCIATED WITH RESULTING ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES. THE POTENTIAL FOR MYRIAD BEHAVIORAL RESPONSES TO THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES RELATED TO CHANGING PRACTICES FROM THE STATUS QUO ADDS TO THE COMPLEXITY OF ADDRESSING SUCH PROBLEMS.A RECENT REVIEW BY KHANNA ET AL. (2018) CALLED UPON ENVIRONMENTAL, RESOURCE, AND AGRICULTURAL ECONOMISTS TO ENGAGE IN SYSTEMS APPROACHES TO IDENTIFY OPTIMAL STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING LANDAND WATER RESOURCES. KHANNA ET AL. (2018) ALSO SUGGESTED DESIGNING INCENTIVE MECHANISMS THAT ENCOURAGE THE ADOPTION OF THOSE STRATEGIES IN A MARKET-DRIVEN ECONOMY; ECONOMIC MODELING IS AT THE HEART OF THESE APPROACHES. KEY TO DEVELOPING INCENTIVES ARE BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS THAT LEAD TO COST-EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS AND POLICIES TO HELP ACHIEVE THESE BROAD SOCIETAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITIES. ADDITIONALLY, THE TRANSITION TOWARD CIRCULAR AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS REQUIRES A SYSTEMATIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS AND INTERDEPENDENCE OF THE COMPONENTS WITHIN THE SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY FOR CREATING FEEDBACK LOOPS IN WHICH DISCARDED MATERIALS ARE REUSED, AS IN NATURAL SYSTEMS.TO MEET THESE CHALLENGES WILL REQUIRE THINKING THAT TRANSCENDS DISCIPLINARY BORDERS. TO QUOTE KARL POPPER, IT WILL REQUIRE "... NOT STUDENTS OF A SUBJECT MATTER, BUT STUDENTS OF PROBLEMS. AND REALIZE THAT PROBLEMS MAY CUT ACROSS THE BORDERS OF ANY SUBJECT MATTER OR DISCIPLINE." WE NEED ACTIONS THAT LEAD TO DEVELOPING A NEW BREED OF RESEARCHERS OF PROBLEMS WITH HABITS OF MINDS THAT EMERGES FROM THE CONVERGENCE OF DISCIPLINES AND HOLISTIC SYSTEMS-OF-SYSTEMS THINKING. THESE RESEARCHERS NEED DEEP DISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGEANDPROFICIENCY IN UNDERSTANDING AND COMMUNICATING WITH SCHOLARS FROM MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES. THE ABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH NON-ACADEMIC AUDIENCES AND STAKEHOLDERS IS ALSO CRITICAL TO UNDERSTANDING SOCIETAL NEEDS AND GUIDING RESEARCH THAT WILL SUPPORT ACTIONABLE SCIENCE FOR POLICYMAKING (IRWIN ET AL., 2018).TACKLING THE CHALLENGES OF CIRCULAR AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SYSTEMS REQUIRES INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIONS TO NAVIGATE A COMPLEX FRAMEWORK TO EXAMINE THE INTERCONNECTIVITY BETWEEN HUMANS AND NATURE. INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES ALLOW FINDING ANSWERS BY COMBINING KNOWLEDGE FROM DIFFERENT AREAS TO TACKLE SOCIETY'S CHALLENGES. WHILE SOME PROBLEMS MAY REQUIRE DISCOVERIES, INTEGRATING KNOWLEDGE FROM MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES CAN ENABLE THINKERS TO ARRIVE AT SOLUTIONS USING AVAILABLE TECHNIQUES AND INFORMATION, THEREBY ADDRESSING THE ISSUES MORE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY (KHANNA, 2022). FURTHERMORE, TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS OF RELEVANCE TO SOCIETY BEYOND DISCIPLINARY BOUNDARIES, WE NEED COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN FIELDS WHERE RESEARCHERS COME TOGETHER (HEJAZI, 2019). ACCORDING TO DUERR AND HERKOMMER (2019), THE MAIN ARGUMENTS FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH ARE THAT THE PROBLEMS WE DEAL WITH ARE TOO COMPLEX TO BE SOLVED WITHIN DISCIPLINES. FURTHERMORE, THE AUTHORS SUGGEST THAT THE NEEDED DISCOVERIES TO TACKLE THE PROBLEMS ARE THROUGH THE WORK BETWEEN DISCIPLINES. LASTLY, THEY CLAIM THAT COLLABORATING WITH RESEARCHERS FROM OTHER DISCIPLINES WILL ENHANCE THE SKILLSET OF RESEARCHERS, PER SE, SOMETHING THAT WE CONSIDER IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY AT THE STAGE OF MID-CAREER RESEARCHERS.WHEN TACKLING BROAD QUESTIONS, RESEARCHERS NEED TO BE PREPARED TO WORK TOGETHER. HENCE, WE PROPOSE A WORKSHOP THAT DIVES INTO CIRCULAR FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS AND MENTORS MID-CAREER RESEARCHERS IN INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK. FOSTERING SUCH COLLABORATIONS ACROSS DISCIPLINES NEEDS TIME AND TRAINING. FIRST, ONE MUST UNDERSTAND THE "DIFFERENT LANGUAGES" SPOKEN IN DIFFERENT FIELDS. THEN, AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DISCIPLINES ON HOW TO DEFINE PROBLEMS AND RESEARCH AGENDAS IS NEEDED, WHAT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES TO APPLY, AND HOW TO FRAME, I.E., CONCEPTUALIZE RESEARCH QUESTIONS. OUR WORKSHOP WILL PROVIDE THE CONTEXT FOR AREAS FOR INNOVATIVE RESEARCH WHILE OFFERING HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES IN WRITING RESEARCH PROPOSALS FOR A TOPIC AT THE NEXUS OF MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES. ALTHOUGH INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH REQUIRES FUNDING AND RESOURCES AND IS THEREFORE ONLY RECOMMENDED WHEN THE ISSUE AT HAND REQUIRES IT AND IS OF SUFFICIENT IMPACT (DUERR AND HERKOMMER, 2019), WE BELIEVE THIS HOLDS FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS TOWARDS BECOMING MORE CIRCULAR.EFFECTIVE MENTORING IS CRITICAL, ESPECIALLY IN INTERDISCIPLINARY ENVIRONMENTS, TO HELP MID-CAREER SCHOLARS ADVANCE THEIR ABILITIES TO COMMUNICATE ACROSS DISCIPLINES AND SUPPORT PRODUCTIVE COLLABORATIONS (BLAND ET AL., 2009).MENTORING ACTIVITIES OFTEN TARGET STUDENTS, ENTRY-LEVEL PROFESSIONALS, AND JUNIOR FACULTY AND STAFF POSITIONS. GIVEN THE INCREASING NUMBER OF BABY BOOMERS RETIRING, PROVIDING MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT MID-CAREER FACULTY DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP THROUGH ADVANCED RESEARCH, TEACHING, AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS. MID-CAREER SCHOLARS ARE WELL-POSITIONED TO PARTICIPATE AND LEAD SUCH ACTIVITIES BECAUSE:THEY HAVE GAINED FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING AND APPRECIATION OF THE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES IN PROBLEM-SOLVING.THEY HAVE ACQUIRED SOME KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IN PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND TEAM BUILDING, OR THEY HAVE ACCUMULATED SOME EXPERIENCES IN PARTICIPATING IN INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TEAMS.THEY LIKELY HAVE ESTABLISHED A SOLID CAREER PATH TO TAKE ON GRAND CHALLENGES.$44,952

· FY2022 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

IMPACTS OF A DIGITALLY DRIVEN GLOBAL ECONOMY: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR U.S. AGRICULTURE$40,770

· FY2021 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture