Project Grant 20226701336363

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLIMATE AND AGRICULTURE IS FUNDAMENTAL. CLIMATE CHANGE HAS INTRODUCED DISRUPTIONS TO FOOD SYSTEMS THAT JEOPARDIZE FOOD SECURITY GLOBALLY. PROJECTED TRENDS INDICATE FURTHER DISRUPTION, AND EFFECTIVE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION IS URGENT. AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE BY SEQUESTERING CARBON AND REDUCING NET GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. ADOPTING BEST CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION PRACTICES CAN PROVIDE BENEFITS WHILE ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY. HOWEVER, IMPLEMENTING THESE ACTIONS PRESENTS SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES IN THE U.S. CARIBBEAN. AGRICULTURAL ADVISORS, TECHNICAL SERVICE PROVIDERS, FARMERS, FORESTER MANAGERS, AND RURAL COMMUNITIES NEED A FOUNDATION OF CLIMATE LITERACY AND ACTIONABLE INFORMATION TO EFFECTIVELY ADAPT TO THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND MITIGATE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. THEREFORE, THIS EXTENSION PROJECT WILL DEMONSTRATE HOW INCREASING CLIMATE LITERACY AND SHARING SECTOR-SPECIFIC ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION PRACTICES WILL FACILITATE CLIMATE-INFORMED DECISION-MAKING AND IMPROVE THE SUSTAINABILITY, RESILIENCE, PRODUCTIVITY, AND ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS FROM THE SECTOR. THE COLLABORATIVE PROJECT INVOLVES THE USDA CARIBBEAN CLIMATE HUB, UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO AND THE UNIVERSITY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS EXTENSION, WINROCK INTERNATIONAL, AND THE CLIMATE SCIENCE ALLIANCE. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE WORKSHOPS, LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, ELECTRONIC AND PRINTED RESOURCES, TOOLS, AND TRAININGS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF CLIMATE SCIENCE BASICS AND CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS, AND TO SHARE SECTOR-SPECIFIC CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION SOLUTIONS FOR FARMERS, LAND MANAGERS, RURAL COMMUNITIES, AND THE ADVISORS THAT SUPPORT THEM.