Uniting Urban Agriculture Operations to Increase Food Security

The New York City urban agriculture community is fragmented, with little understanding of who is growing food and how it is being distributed. Consistent data collection and access is the first step to understanding urban agriculture systems and promoting equitable food access. Led by Marianna Koval, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business researchers are developing a data collection tool to establish a baseline understanding of local food production in New York City.

Validating an African Swine Fever Virus Subunit Vaccine

Validation of Efficacy of a Protective DIVA-Compatible Prototype African Swine Fever Virus Vaccine

African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) is a highly contagious, fatal disease in pigs that spreads rapidly. There is no commercially available treatment or vaccine for the virus, and the threat to U.S. swine production is significant. To protect U.S. herds, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine researchers are developing and validating a vaccine to protect pigs from ASFV.

The Revitalization of Indigenous Crops in the Southwest

Climate change is compromising highly nutritious, localized food grown by Indigenous societies, which has led to detrimental health disparities for American Indians, including higher rates of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson aims to ensure crop biodiversity and increase access to nutritious food through partnerships with tribal communities. Kotutwa Johnson is examining water conservation practices that increase Indigenous food production, analyzing Indigenous foods’ nutritional value to integrate these foods into USDA and other food programs and developing safeguards to protect Indigenous groups data rights.

Big Data to Improve and Sustain Wheat End-Use Quality in the Face of Increasingly Variable Climate Scenarios

To maintain a competitive advantage, United States grain producers often focus on producing wheat with milling and baking qualities desirable in Asia and Latin America, the primary importers of U.S. wheat. However, climate extremes can destabilize wheat crops with these end-use qualities. Dr. Margaret Krause is supplementing end-use datasets assembled by the USDA by linking measurements of wheat milling and baking quality to climate and crop management data. Krause aims to determine which climate and crop management factors most affect wheat quality, whether end-use quality can be forecasted and what options might be available to producers to improve wheat quality.

Developing circular urban food systems for a rapidly growing desert city

Using food waste-derived fertilizer in controlled environment agriculture can address urban food system challenges. Yet, limited information is available about fertilizer characteristics and application methodologies. Dr. Yujin Park is examining the nutrient content of food waste-derived fertilizer, determining procedures to increase its nutrient balance and evaluating the impact of its use with indoor and greenhouse production systems.