Building Team Chemistry: The Bigger Picture Behind Cows & Climate
Conor McCabe
Animal Biology Graduate Student, UC Davis
Enhancing Tools to Model Climate and Environmental Impacts in Organic Agriculture Systems
Improving Carbon and Nutrient Modeling Tools for Organic Farming to Reduce Climate Change Impact
The 2022 Organic Center-FFAR joint Organic Research Program awards up to $200,000 per project focused on organic techniques for improving mitigation and resiliency to climate change, with a priority on systems-based approaches and a commitment to cross-sector partnerships. TOC and FFAR selected projects in regions typically underrepresented in organic research and with plans to expand their results to the greater organic farming industry by making their data open and accessible to the public.
Why this research is important
Organic farming is poised to be part of the climate change solution; organic farmers do not rely on fossil-fuel intensive synthetic inputs to manage pests or increase soil fertility and use farming techniques that sequester carbon in the soil. However, more work is needed to understand specific strategies organic growers can adopt to mitigate climate change, while managing the negative effects climate change is having on their farms through drought, flooding, invasive pests and extreme weather events.
Transitioning to organic farming can be confusing, costly and labor-intensive. This partnership with The Organic Center provides a much-needed opportunity for agriculture professionals to educate more farmers about organic farming best practices so we can sustainably meet consumers’ growing demand for organic products and support thriving farms.LaKisha Odom, Ph.D.
Scientific Program Director Soil Health
Enhancing Tools to Model Climate and Environmental Impacting Organic Agriculture Systems
Silva is investigating how to improve existing carbon and nutrient modeling tools and create new ones to better reflect organic farming management practices and reduce climate change impact. She will share the results with agricultural professionals and policymakers to inform where further research is needed to better understand the impacts of organic farming methods on climate and environmental stewardship. The organic agriculture industry will also use the results to determine the best ways organic farming can be incorporated in the development of carbon and environmental incentive programs.
Project Objectives
- Assess existing tools (COMET-Planner and SnapPlus) related to carbon and nutrient modeling to identify gaps related to the representation of organic management
- Model tillage intensity and potential soil health impacts using the STIR ratings
- Create a report that outline specific needs for on-farm, field level data collection to optimize climate impact models
How This Research Contributes to Our Mission
This bold research addresses complex agriculture issues and challenges that farmers face today.
