Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** a landscape transformation from…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** a landscape transformation from prevailing annual crop systems towards increasing diversity, promoting perennial forages, and integrating livestock has potential to solve several environmental and socioeconomic problems in agriculture, if substantial policy, economic, and social barriers can be addressed. Our vision is to transform the current agricultural landscape through a process of engaging a diverse network of stakeholders and researchers to promote the environmental and socioeconomic benefits that will arise from the adoption of diverse perennial circular forage systems. Our transdisciplinary team will foster climate RESILIENCE, ecosystem services, profitability, social inclusion, and human health by identifying and quantifying benefits, as well as incentivizing and promoting diverse perennial circular systems across major US agro-ecoregions. This project contributes to two program area priorities: sustainable agricultural intensification (RESILIENCE) and agricultural climate adaptation (soil health). We will quantify RESILIENCE (using compiled data from a forage data hub), soil and biodiversity ecosystem services (from field experiments and farms), environmental impacts (life cycle assessment), health impacts, and economic and social value of diverse perennial circular systems in contrast to prevailing systems. A national network of 50 pairs of farmers across the US will be established for research and extension activities including underrepresented groups. We will analyze economic conditions, social structures, and public policies that prevent wider adoption of these systems and develop policy recommendations to overcome these constraints. We will develop on-line decision tools and maps, communicate results to farmers, consumers, lenders, and policy makers, and develop and deliver coordinated educational materials to K-12 and university students.