Largest Grant in U of I History to Incentivize Climate-Smart Agriculture
October 05, 2022
MOSCOW, Idaho 鈥� 果冻传媒麻豆社鈥檚 College of Agricultural and Life Sciences聽is set to receive up to $55 million 鈥� the largest award in the university鈥檚 history 鈥� to help Idaho farmers and ranchers combat climate change through agricultural practices.
The award, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is twice as large as any prior U of I grant. In addition to supporting research on building cropping systems that are more resilient to climate change, the five-year grant stimulates the state鈥檚 economy by paying more than half of the funds directly to Idaho agricultural producers.
鈥淲hile this is a monumental achievement for our university, the big winners will be Idaho farmers and ranchers who are willing to try new approaches to producing food, with the goal of making their operations more sustainable and protecting the environment,鈥� said Christopher Nomura, U of I鈥檚 vice president of research and economic development.
U of I鈥檚 鈥淐limate-Smart Commodities for Idaho: A Public-Private-Tribal Partnership,鈥� is among awarded nationwide for a combined investment of up to $2.8 billion included in the first pool of USDA鈥檚 .
U of I鈥檚 grant will directly benefit more than 100 Idaho farmers and ranchers. Research will focus on the state鈥檚 staple commodities, such as potatoes, beef, sugar, wheat, barley, hops and chickpeas. The grant will drive climate-smart practices on about 10% of Idaho鈥檚 active cropland, preventing the emission of up to 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year into the atmosphere.
Food producers will be eligible for payments to try a host of climate-smart practices, such as raising crops primarily for soil health benefits, known as cover cropping, or reducing reliance on tillage, which helps soil hold carbon that would otherwise be released as carbon dioxide.
The Coeur d鈥橝lene聽Tribe Natural Resources Department and the Nez Perce Tribe Land Services Division will be partners in the project, helping to test several climate-smart conservation practices on tribal lands.
鈥淚t is our hope that the lessons we learn can help farmers across the reservation adapt their farming practices in a way that benefits their productivity while also benefitting the Tribe鈥檚 ability to protect the quality and health of its water and soil in the face of warming temperatures and increased probability of drought,鈥� said Laura Laumatia, climate research and policy analyst with the Coeur d鈥橝lene Tribe.
Jodi Johnson-Maynard, head of the U of I Department of Soil and Water Systems, leads the project with co-principal investigator, Sanford Eigenbrode, a distinguished professor in the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology.
鈥淭his project will allow us to pilot a program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a way that meets the market demands for sustainably produced products while benefiting our farmers,鈥� Johnson-Maynard said.
鈥淎 lot of companies big and small see the handwriting on the wall 鈥� that the need for a climate-friendly pipeline is not going away, and if they鈥檙e staying competitive in the industry, they鈥檝e got to get on board," Eigenbrode said.
Both Johnson-Maynard and Eigenbrode have led large-scale climate research grants, which brought in a combined $23.4 million.
鈥淭he principal investigators in this grant both have tremendous expertise in the areas of climate change and climate-smart agriculture and are now building on their previous successes,鈥� said College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean Michael Parrella.
Additional partners in the U of I-led project all reside in Idaho and include the Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts, Salmon Safe, The Nature Conservancy Idaho Chapter Office, The Wave Foundation, Desert Mountain Grassfed Beef and Kooskooskie Fish, LLC.
Researchers with U of I鈥檚 College of Agricultural and Life Sciences are partners in two additional USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grants led by other institutions totaling over $75 million.
ASSETS AVAILABLE: The attached photo can be credited to 果冻传媒麻豆社 Visual Productions. A suggested caption is: 鈥淎 wheat field at 果冻传媒麻豆社's Parma Research and Extension Center.鈥� Courtesy photos are available for download and use in an . Contact Kyle Pfannenstiel at kylecp@uidaho.edu or 208-329-8947 for assistance.
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Media Contact:
John O鈥機onnell
Assistant Director of Communications, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
208-530-5959 - cell
joconnell@uidaho.edu
Jodi Johnson-Maynard
Professor and Head, Department of Soil and Water Systems; Lead Principal Investigator
208-885-9245
jmaynard@uidaho.edu
About the 果冻传媒麻豆社
The 果冻传媒麻豆社, home of the Vandals, is Idaho鈥檚 land-grant, national research university. From its residential campus in Moscow, U of I serves the state of Idaho through educational centers in Boise, Coeur d鈥橝lene and Idaho Falls, nine research and Extension centers, plus Extension offices in 42 counties. Home to more than 12,000 students statewide, U of I is a leader in student-centered learning and excels at interdisciplinary research, service to businesses and communities, and in advancing diversity, citizenship and global outreach. U of I competes in the Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences. Learn more at uidaho.edu.