Sustaining Vibrant Agroecosystems

Our Agroecosystems research deepens our understanding of how agriculture systems interact with the surrounding environment.
Our Agroecosystems research deepens our understanding of how agriculture systems interact with the surrounding environment.

Contact Information:

science@foundationfar.org

Partnerships & Development Contact:

Sarah Zoubek
szoubek@foundationfar.org

Open Opportunities

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Prioritizing Agroecosystems Research

We use about half of our planet’s landmass to produce food. How we manage this land, and the agroecosystems that support it, is vital to sustaining crop production, environmental health and producers’ livelihoods.

FFAR invests in agroecosystems research to understand and improve the connectivity between soil, water and the environment to produce results that fully sustain vibrant agroecosystems.

This research addresses knowledge gaps and develops tools and technologies designed for site-specific decision-making. By accelerating innovation, this research connects farmers and scientists to co-create solutions that build and maintain healthy, productive agroecosystems that can withstand severe weather events.

The Agroecosystems research focuses on the following themes to achieve critical impacts:

A farmer with her hands in soil

Pathways to Adoption

Pursuing socio-economic and agronomic research to understand drivers underlying producers’ decisions to adopt improved practices and technologies.

Informing Agroecosystems Decisions

Providing practical, reliable and credible information to help producers, agriculture educators and stakeholders evaluate tradeoffs associated with transitioning to new practices and technologies.
Cover crops

Catalyzing Sustainable Solutions

Developing and refining knowledge, technology and practices that address soil, water and environmental challenges.

Agroecosystem Consortia

AgMission™

Together, FFAR and World Farmers' Organisation established AgMission, a global initiative that unites farmers, ranchers and scientists to validate and accelerate scalable, locally-customized solutions.

Ecosystem Services Market Consortium

The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium is conducting the research necessary to create a functional ecosystem services market, which pays farmers and ranchers for adopting conservation practices.

Efficient Fertilizer Consortium

The Efficient Fertilizer Consortium is a public-private partnership that funds research to advance enhanced efficiency and novel fertilizer products and practices that are environmentally beneficial and agronomically productive.

Irrigation Innovation Consortium

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

Agroecosystem Grant Programs

Irrigation for eggplants.

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

The ACTION Program is developing innovative research that increases farmer and landowner adoption of conservation practices.

Water droplets on plant leaves.

FoodShot Global Challenge

FoodShot Global launches an annual FoodShot – a MoonShot for Better Food – to create a food system that is healthier, sustainable and equitable. The annual FoodShot identifies a pivotal challenge facing our food system and issues a global call for research to solve that challenge.

Man planting a seed in a field

Seeding Solutions

Seeding Solutions is our annual grant program that funds research pioneering science in each of our Research Priorities. We specifically support projects that convene unique partners from across the food and agriculture sector to solve bold challenges.

rows of seedlings in trays in a greenhouse with Black woman in kneeling down holding tablet observing them and additional person in background doing the same

Tuskegee University Organic Research Endowment

To advance organic agriculture and support equity in farming.

Agroecosystem Awarded Grants

The Agricultural Nitrogen Use Efficiency Platform (AgNUE)

Year Awarded  2026

FFAR award amount   $7,449,645

Total award amount   $34,709,349

Location   Raleigh, NC

Matching Funders   Novo Nordisk Foundation

Grantee Institution   North Carolin State University

Outcome-Based Identification of Best Agronomic Practices to Reduce N Footprint in Agroecosystems

Year Awarded  2025

FFAR award amount   $100,000

Total award amount   $200,000

Location   Lincoln, NE

Matching Funders   University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Grantee Institution   University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Kernza® Supply Chain from Farm to Fork: Building Systems to Trace the Ecological, Nutritional and Community Benefits of Kernza® Production in Fields and Food Products

Year Awarded  2025

FFAR award amount   $986,462

Total award amount   $2,003,394

Location   Moundridge, KS

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Wichita State University, 40 Century Grain, Inc., Merge Impact, NETZRO, Saltine Food, Colorado Malting Co, Denver Distillery LLC, Easy Modular Manufacturing, Sustain-A-Grain, Inc., Service Press, Artisan Naan Bakery, Boot Hill Distillery, LLC, Farmer Direct Foods, Sandhills Brewing, Midland Railroad Hotel, The FARM and The Odd Fellows, Smoky Valley Distillery, Prairy, The Land Institute, Perennial Agriculture Project, Perennial Spirits.

Grantee Institution   Sustain-A-Grain

See all Agroecosystems Awarded Grants

The Latest

Insights

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

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What’s the (Real) Rate of Soil Health Practice Adoption? 

Dr. Bonnie McGill

Dr. Bonnie McGill

American Farmland Trust

Balancing the Books 

Field sampling for soil carbon analysis and bulk density measurements.

Tayin Wang

FFAR Fellow, Colorado State University

Calculating Emissions at the Individual Farm Level 

Kaiyu Guan

Dr. Kaiyu Guan

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Data for Dairy 

Reza Afshar

Reza Afshar

Vice President, Soil, Feed and Water Research at Dairy Management Inc.

Advancing Ecosystem Service Markets for Sustainable Farming 

Portrait of LaKisha Odom.

LaKisha Odom & DJ May

A Place for Everyone in Agriculture 

Portrait of LaKisha Odom.

Dr. LaKisha Odom & Jocelyn Hittle

Finding a New Way to Control Weeds in Cotton. 

Sarah Chu

Sarah Chu

FFAR Fellow, Texas A&M University

Irrigation’s Role in Ensuring Global Food Security 

Luke Reynolds

Irrigation Association

The “Good Soil Discount” — A Game Changer for U.S. Agriculture 

Harley Cross

Harley Cross

Land Core Co-founder & Director of Strategy

Using Land-based Tools to Benefit Waterways 

Ernie Shea

President, Solutions from the Land

Organic Ag Podcast Features Innovative Industry Topics 

Portrait of KD.

Kathleen Delate

Professor, Organic Agriculture Program, Iowa State University 

Building Bridges Between Academics & Farmers 

Elizabeth Ellis

FFAR Fellow, Elizabeth Ellis

Manure – Waste or Resource? 

Portrait of Manny Sabbagh.

Manny Sabbagh

University of Minnesota

Diversifying the Future of Venture Capital 

The first cohort of the HBCU Kirchner Fellows are Bryana Pittman, Kwame Jackson and Martin Adu-Boahene who co-wrote this Insights piece to share the value of this fellowship and its potential impact.

What Do We Call Innovation? 

Portrait of Susie Hutton.

Susie Hutton

Can Adding Carbon to the Soil Help us Manage Weeds? 

Portrait of Maria Gannett.

Maria Gannett

2019-2022 FFAR Fellow

Gene Editing is a Real Solution for Climate Change 

Portrait of Nicholas Karavolias.

Nicholas Karavolias

FFAR Fellow 2020-2023

Taking Science Beyond the Bench 

Portrait of Krista Marshall.

Krista Marshall

2019-2022 FFAR Fellow

Soil is Not Dirt 

Portrait of Prairie.

Aaron Prairie

2020-2023 FFAR Fellow

Farmers & Ranchers Can Help In The Climate Crisis 

Dan Glickman and Bob Stallman

News

The latest news and updates from FFAR.

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FFAR & Partners Award Grant to Develop Supply Chain Framework for Kernza® 

FFAR & Novo Nordisk Foundation Establish $34.7 Million Agricultural Nitrogen-Use Efficiency Platform 

Funding Opportunity to Accelerate Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer 

Advancing Farms Finance & Insurance Solutions 

Grant to Increase Agriculture Data Sharing Among Farmers, Partners 

WFO-AgMission™ Report: Global Young Farmers’ Consultation on Climate-Smart Agriculture 

Seeding Solutions Grant Supports Transition to Sustainable Almond Production 

FFAR & OCP North America Announce Fertilizer Fellowship Awardees & Grant Opportunity 

FFAR & Danone North America Announce Grant Opportunity to Support Regenerative Agriculture 

Danone Insititute North America Accepting Grant Proposals for Sustainable Food Systems Initiatives 

Efficient Fertilizer Consortium Seeks Research to Evaluate Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Impact Globally 

FFAR’s Dr. LaKisha Odom Wins Two Prestigious Agriculture Awards 

Seeding Solutions Grant Promotes Clean Water Through Performance-Based Financing 

FFAR Seeding Solutions Grant Evaluates the Benefits of Converting Row Crops to Perennial Forage Systems 

Seeding Solutions Grant Provides Decision Support Tool for Extreme Weather Events 

Seeding Solutions Grant to Preserve Groundwater and Economically Benefit Growers 

FFAR & Eight Member Organizations Commit $8.45 Million to Efficient Fertilizer Consortium 

Seeding Solutions Grant Develops Cotton-Based Precision Irrigation 

AgMission Grant Evaluates Successful Incentives for Persistent Cover Crop Adoption 

FFAR & FoodShot Global Announce GroundBreaker Prize Winners in Water Research 

Breakthroughs

Tools, technologies and strategies from the research we fund.

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Measuring What Matters: Understanding US Soil Health Practices Adoption 

Breakthrough for Seeding Solutions Grant Analyzes Soil Health Practices

Advancing Irrigation Knowledge 

Breakthrough for Irrigation Innovation Consortium

Combating Native & Managed Pollinator Population Declines 

Breakthrough for 16 Research Teams Receive FFAR Grants to Improve Pollinator Health

Farmer-to-Farmer Learning Helps Preserve Water & Soil Health, Increase Profits 

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

AI & Supercomputing Can Quantify Emissions from Individual Farms 

Breakthrough for FFAR Grant Quantifies Organic Carbon to Improve Agricultural Productivity

Developing an Extensive Database of US Groundwater Wells 

Breakthrough for Achieving Sustainable Groundwater Management Through Innovative Governance & Optimal Agricultural Water Use Under Conflicting Objectives

Building Collaborations for Technology-Driven Solutions in Agriculture 

Breakthrough for Open Technology Ecosystem for Agricultural Management (OpenTEAM)

Documenting Adaptive Multi-Paddock Grazing’s Benefits 

Breakthrough for Quantifying the Advantages of Multi-Paddock (AMP) Grazing in the U.S. Southeast & Northern Great Plains

Bioengineering Proves Better Photosynthesis Increases Crop Yields 

Breakthrough for Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) Reinvestment

Building a Path to Data-Driven Management in Irrigation 

Want to do more to support our pioneering research?