Sustainable Water Management

The Sustainable Water Management Challenge Area research enhances and protects natural waters to sustain agricultural production and environmental health.
The Sustainable Water Management Challenge Area research enhances and protects natural waters to sustain agricultural production and environmental health.

Program Contact

Dr. Kathleen Boomer
kboomer@foundationfar.org

Development Contact

Catherine Maxwell
cmaxwell@foundationfar.org

Open Opportunity

Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Accepting Applications

Why Are We Tackling Water Management Challenges?

Maintaining an adequate supply of clean water represents one of the most significant challenges of the 21st Century. Agriculture accounts for more than 80 percent of water consumption and more than 50 percent of excess nutrient loads to our coastal waterways, thereby also threatening our fisheries and exacerbating human health concerns. Agriculture’s challenge to meet growing food demand while managing drought, flood and water quality risks under changing climate conditions demands audacious solutions.

Advances in sustainable water management are essential to achieving agricultural goals. Innovative engineering practices customized to local field conditions are essential to minimizing water demand, increasing terrestrial water storage and improving water quality while also enhancing crop production.

Our research programs promote stakeholder engagement with interdisciplinary scientific experts to advance precision agriculture and increase conservation practice adoption.

We Pioneer Sustainable Water Management

Congress established FFAR to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement USDA’s research agenda. Our public-private partnerships match federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment.

Our Sustainable Water Management programs advance agricultural conservation practices to protect our vital water resources while addressing cost and infrastructure concerns.

 

Learn more about our Sustainable Water Management grants, programs and consortium.

Sustainable Water Management Awarded Grants

Increasing Motivation and Promoting Persistence in Farmer Conservation

Year Awarded  2023

FFAR award amount   $120,238

Total award amount   $246,924

Location   Columbus, OH

Program   Achieving Conservation Through Targeted Information, Outreach and Networking (ACTION) Program

Matching Funders   Walton Family Foundation

Grantee Institution   The Ohio State University

Novel Farmer-to-Farmer Learning Approaches to Cultivate a Culture of Conservation in the Mississippi River Basin

Year Awarded  2023

FFAR award amount   $127,676

Total award amount   $262,200

Location   Sparta, WI

Program   Achieving Conservation Through Targeted Information, Outreach and Networking (ACTION) Program

Matching Funders   Walton Family Foundation

Grantee Institution   University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension

Equipping Conservation Professionals and Farmers with Tools to Deliver Edge of Field Practices

Year Awarded  2023

FFAR award amount   $226,636

Total award amount   $480,426

Location   Ames, IA

Program   Achieving Conservation Through Targeted Information, Outreach and Networking (ACTION) Program

Matching Funders   Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition, Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership, Walton Family Foundation

Grantee Institution   Iowa State University

See all Sustainable Water Management Awarded Grants

Sustainable Water Management Grant Programs

Scientific Workforce Development Programs

Sustainable Water Management Consortium

Irrigation Innovation Consortium

The IIC accelerates the development and adoption of novel water and energy-efficient irrigation technologies and practices through public-private partnerships.

 
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The Latest

Insights

Our Insights highlight unique perspectives from across the food and agriculture community.

See all Insights

Irrigation’s Role in Ensuring Global Food Security

Luke Reynolds

Irrigation Association

Global Agriculture Leaders See How Maryland Farmers Use Land-based Tools to Benefit Waterways

Ernie Shea

President, Solutions from the Land

What Do We Call Innovation? Looking for Common Cause in a Sea of Needs

Susie Hutton

Gene Editing is a Real Solution for Climate Change

Nicholas Karavolias

FFAR Fellow 2020-2023

Getting Smarter During Smart Irrigation Month

Deborah M. Hamlin and Dr. Sally Rockey

News

The latest news and updates from FFAR.

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$16 Million Grant Increases Crop Yields, Improves Sustainability & Profitability

Working with Farmers to Increase Adoption of Water Conservation Practices

Advancing Crop Diversity with Civic Scientists

IIC Announces $1 Million for New Research to Advance Irrigation Management

FFAR Grant Addressing Surface and Groundwater Pollution on Farms

Irrigation Innovation Consortium Awards Seven Grants

Irrigation Innovation Consortium (IIC) Funds Seven Research Projects

FFAR Awards $1 Million Grant to Combat Water Scarcity and Increase Yields

Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research Awards $5 Million to Launch Public-Private Effort to Address Water Scarcity with Irrigation Innovation

FFAR Awards $1 Million Grant to Create Open Source Technology for Gene Discovery in Plants

Breakthroughs

Tools, technologies and strategies from the research we fund.

See all Breakthroughs

The Irrigation Innovation Consortium & Parallel 41 Network: Building a path to data-driven management

Want to do more to support our pioneering research?