Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** alabama is a global leader in two…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** alabama is a global leader in two primary agricultural industry sectors - poultry production and forest products. The annual contribution of both industries to alabama's economy is $43 billion. A significant percentage of the 210,000 jobs created in the state by these two industries are in rural alabama. Therefore, the goal of this project is to leverage modern technologies to advance rural alabama through these two leading agricultural industries. Our inter-disciplinary approach will develop technology solutions that will assist producers and processes of poultry and forest products to improve their competitiveness and sustainability while addressing cyber-physical vulnerabilities due to use/adoption of modern technologies. This project also aims to reduce pollution of water bodies in rural alabama by developing systems that manage upcycling waste streams emanating from agricultural processing facilities. Ultimately, we will develop case studies that showcase new technologies andopportunities for agricultural and forest production in the rural south. We will develop and deliver project findings that summarize and evaluate project impacts on rural alabama to target stakeholders and the public. The objectives and the expected outcomes of this project are well-aligned with the goals 2 (equitable, resilient and prosperous america's agricultural system), 3 (fostering equitable and competitive marketplace for all agricultural producers), and 5 (expanding opportunities for economic development and improve quality of life in rural alabama) of the USDA's strategic plan.