Share Crossroads in Agriculture: Bridging Science, Policy, and Practice

As communities nationwide experience more extreme weather events, farmers are facing impacts ranging from rapidly depleting water resources to mounting pressures on food systems. To bolster the resilience and adaptability of U.S. agriculture, it is critical that scientists, policymakers, and agricultural producers exchange best practices and collaborate on solutions.

 

Toward that end, the National Academies recently hosted a half-day symposium on Capitol Hill where leading scientists, agriculture industry experts, and congressional staffers gathered to explore the future of American agriculture. Participants discussed groundwater resources, soil health, agricultural decision-making, and the bioeconomy in depth, drawing from real-life experiences.

 

U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) set the tone as he opened the event, stating that farmers in “agricultural rural America have been amazing adopters of change over the course of the century.” He noted that farmers’ ability to adjust to the reality of changing weather patterns is no exception, urging the wider use of science and technology to ensure forward progress in agriculture.

 

The call for evidence-based action echoed throughout the symposium. Arizona State University hydrologist Jay Famiglietti presented over two decades of satellite data, which revealed the sharp and sustained decline of groundwater resources in the Southwest, especially in the Colorado River Basin, where groundwater is disappearing 2.5 times faster than surface water. To mitigate groundwater depletion, Famiglietti suggested implementing sustainable sub-basin water management policies and incentives that reward efficient irrigation practices by farmers.

 

Attention then turned to soil health. “A healthy soil is like a healthy community,” said Carolina Córdova, a soil scientist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who noted that healthy soil provides many ecosystem services, from carbon sequestration and water filtration to the production of food, fuel, and fiber. Córdova went on to discuss how farming practices such as planting cover crops, reducing tillage, and alternating crop rotations enhance water retention, resist erosion, and sequester carbon, aiding in both adaptation and mitigation efforts. Córdova emphasized that, nonetheless, “organic carbon is the backbone of soil health.” Tracking and increasing soil carbon, she explained, will make soil more porous and drought resilient.

 

Despite well-documented benefits, the adoption of soil health solutions remains limited due to the high cost of testing soil samples, steep learning curves, and limited financial incentives. Yet, long-term field trials show clear gains, and Córdova highlighted to policymakers and industry professionals the immense opportunity that comes with investments in partnerships that connect science and policy with on-the-ground practice. Córdova concluded that soil health is a priority worth investing in for farmers, communities, and national resilience.

 

Soil microbiologist Chuck Rice of Kansas State University noted that agricultural resilience hinges on reintroducing complexity, using innovative technology, and moving agricultural systems beyond corn and soy. He encouraged farmers to think beyond a single field to the broader landscape, where practices that emphasize efficient use of nutrients and energy can provide benefits to both farmland and surrounding communities. This is especially true as farmers contend with shrinking land and water resources. Long-term research and private sector engagement, Rice added, are key to building resilient systems that improve profitability.

 

Studies of how farmers make decisions can also be useful for helping them navigate changing conditions. J. Arbuckle, a rural sociologist based at Iowa State University, shared that while all farmers experience extreme weather, beliefs about the causes of climate variability differ, so communication about potential new practices must be sensitive to those differences. Importantly, chronically low profits from commodity crops can pose economic barriers to adaptation efforts. He encouraged policymakers to focus on protecting farmland and the livelihoods that depend on healthy soils by providing accessible, science-based guidance. “We need to help farm families to increase the resilience of their farming systems,” Arbuckle noted. “Our long-term societal stability depends on it.”

 

The afternoon’s closing panel, moderated by environmental economist Madhu Khanna of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, highlighted innovation and opportunity in the bioeconomy. Ermias Kebreab, an associate dean in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis, explored how biological innovation, such as feed additives that reduce methane and biofuels derived from agricultural waste, can transform environmental challenges into economic opportunity.

 

For many of these innovations, although the science is ready, commercialization can take up to 20 to 25 years. “The technology is there; the challenge is to scale it and scale it fast,” said Valerie Thomas, chair of natural systems at the Georgia Institute of Technology, while Roger Wyse — a co-founder at Spruce Capital Partners — noted that the bioeconomy can greatly improve farmer income and revitalize rural communities. Wyse added that policies that monetize the value of feedstocks and ecosystem services generated with soil healthy practices and that share the value with farmers to improve farm income can accelerate further adoption of regenerative practices. To advance sustainable solutions, the panelists said, stable, long-term policies are needed that reduce risks, unlock investment, and coordinate markets.

 

Groundwater stewardship, soil health, climate adaptation, farmer decision-making, and the bioeconomy form an interconnected system. The rich discussions among the experts at this symposium demonstrated the value of building bridges that enable evidence-based, farmer-focused policies to keep U.S. agriculture viable and sustainable amid a rapidly changing climate.