AFSI Newsletter - March 2022
Speakers and Session Topics for the Webinar Series on Climate Adaptation & Mitigation Opportunities in U.S. Fruit & Vegetable Supply Chains
The webinar series U.S. Fruit & Vegetable Supply Chains: Climate Adaptation & Mitigation Opportunities will take place on three consecutive Tuesdays this month–March 8, 15, and 22, 2022–to present the outcomes of a five-year research project funded by a $3 million grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Through the development of novel integrated modeling methods, the collaborative study identified and tested adaptation and mitigation opportunities for fruit and vegetable (F&V) crops, with the overarching goal of enhancing the productivity, resilience, and sustainability of U.S. produce supply chains. This includes where production regions might shift, as well opportunities to mitigate the overall climate impacts. Crop, economic, and life-cycle assessment modeling were used to determine current and future climate impacts on yield, price, and environmental profile of the following eight crops: carrots, green beans, oranges, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, sweet corn, and tomatoes. Each day of the webinar series will focus on a different aspect of the project. By registering using a single form, participants will be able to attend any of the three sessions, and registrants will have access to recordings of the webinar series after the event ends.
Session 1: Crop Modeling and Economic Modeling
On March 8, 2022, Dr. Dave Gustafson, AFSI, will introduce the webinar series and provide an overview of the project and its findings. Dr. Claudio Stöckle, Washington State University, will then deliver a presentation on the crop modeling, which examined current and future climate and water availability impacts on yield and quality of the selected F&V crops. Dr. John Kruse, World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Services, will follow this talk with a discussion of the project's economic modeling methodology and results, which focused on current and future prices and production costs, with an emphasis on California, the Pacific Northwest, and Southeast.
Session 2: Life-Cycle Assessment Modeling
The second session on March 15, 2022 will start with an overview by University of Arkansas’ Dr. Greg Thoma about what life-cycle assessment (LCA) modeling is, after which Dr. Ranjan Parajuli will explain how LCA modeling methods were used to evaluate supply chains for the project's eight crops. The floor will then return to Dr. Thoma for a presentation on the climate mitigation opportunities identified by the project. Following this talk, Dr. Gustafson will discuss carbon market opportunities in F&V supply chains, before opening up the session for a moderated panel discussion.
Session 3: Stakeholder Engagement, Extension, and Decision Support Tools
The final installment of the webinar series on March 22, 2022 will focus on how the project aims to ensure that the models reflect realistic practices and that the results provide useful, actionable information. The session will be led by extension specialists at the University of Florida and Washington State University, with Dr. Clyde Fraisse presenting the implications of climate change for U.S. F&V supply chains in the Southeast, and Mr. Chad Kruger mirroring this discussion for the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Kirti Rajagopalan will then introduce and demonstrate the decision support tools developed by the project, and the webinar series will conclude with a discussion about next steps.
The U.S. Fruit & Vegetable Supply Chains: Climate Adaptation & Mitigation Opportunities project is jointly managed by investigators at the University of Florida and Agriculture & Food Systems Institute, in close collaboration with researchers at the University of Arkansas, University of Illinois, International Food Policy Research Institute, World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Services, and Washington State University. The project team is organizing this publicly accessible webinar series to present the project’s findings in a way that is immediately actionable for the many stakeholders who are involved, both directly and indirectly, in the supply chains for these essential foods and looks forward to seeing you at the sessions this month. Click the button below for more information about the speakers, along with the full agenda and registration link