In February 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced the results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, spanning more than 6 million data points about America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them down to the county level.

On Earth Day, 2022, President Biden made protecting and restoring nature and using nature-based solutions a core tenant of U.S. national Policy by signing Executive Order 14072, Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities, and Local Economies.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing over $3.1 billion in 141 selected projects under the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. Commodities include crops, animal agriculture, and forest products. These projects will reach 60,000 farms covering 25 million acres of working land.

USDA announced the funding of 12 USDA Regional Food Business Centers. These Centers will support a more resilient, diverse, and competitive food system by providing localized assistance to access local and regional supply chains, including linking producers to wholesalers and distributors. They will also provide technical assistance needed to access new markets, access to federal, state, and local resources, and will assist small- and mid-sized producers in overcoming barriers to market access, with a focus on underserved farmers, ranchers, and food businesses.

Volume, velocity, variety, and veracity are descriptors of big data. Remote sensing, geospatial, Census and supermarket scanner data are only a few examples of big data. Accessibility, quality and security are challenges associated with big data. Higher yields and better matching of product to consumer demand are two outcomes from research using big data.

We delve into the role of policies to increase the climate benefits of biofuels and Sustainable Aviation Fuels and contribute to rural communities’ economic viability. This webinar discusses the opportunities for increasing the climate benefits of these fuels and the effectiveness of using carbon intensity score-based policies to induce the adoption of climate-smart practices -- practices that increase biological carbon sequestration — by farmers producing feedstocks for these fuels.

The October C-FARE webinar highlights two “almost direct to consumer” food distribution models. Our four panelists representing government (USDA) and research (University) discuss policy and marketplace impacts of Farm to School and Food Hubs. Both of these models of food system intermediaries reach across the food system from farm production through distribution to the consumer, whether that be an institution or an individual.

Prices of commodities, livestock, and specialized crops are important as they impact the economy, food security, rural communities, and the environment. Monitoring and understanding these prices are essential for governments, businesses, and individuals involved in agriculture and for policymakers and researchers studying the economic stability of global food systems.

In late 2021, a committee appointed by the leadership of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association developed a white paper on the grand challenge to ensure that all people have safe, affordable, accessible, and acceptable food for leading a healthy and active life.

Climate change presents real threats to U.S. agricultural production, forest resources, and rural economies.

Food security is a fundamental human need which the U.S. has long sought to protect, using a variety of programs guided by key metrics that reflect and contribute to international measurements and global actions.

Dollar stores are the fastest-growing food retailers in the contiguous United States and have doubled their share in rural areas in the past decade.

Farmers, foresters, and ranchers are unfortunately familiar with the devastation and loss of life and property accompanying a natural disaster caused by an extreme weather event such as a hurricane, drought, or flooding.

The C-FARE webinar in January focused on global food security, which is a necessary first step towards many other goals of U.S. foreign policy, as well as our humanitarian and environmental objectives

The December C-FARE webinar focuses on the complexities of the inflationary period the U.S. is facing. Matthew MacLachlan, Michael Adjemian, and David Ortega will present an overview of their work on inflation as it relates to agriculture, food, and natural resources.

Food insecurity implies difficulty getting enough food at some time during the year. The causes are multifactorial and often include poverty, unemployment, low income, lack of affordable housing, chronic health conditions or lack of access to healthcare, and systemic racism and racial discrimination.

Agriculture provides food for humans, fiber, and livelihoods for billions of people worldwide and is a critical resource for sustainable development in many regions. Regardless, agriculture also provides many ecosystem services and opportunities for climate change mitigation and removal of greenhouse gases (GHG).

To effectively leverage their assets for long-term, shared prosperity, rural communities need a robust local capacity with solid connections at the regional, state, and federal levels.

To effectively leverage their assets for long-term, shared prosperity, rural communities need a robust local capacity with solid connections at the regional, state, and federal levels.

While rural America is in no way a monolith, many rural communities have in recent years been confronted by challenging economic, demographic, and climatic trends that have limited their ability to achieve durable, inclusive economic prosperity.