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 The IRAI launches this fall with grant support
from Fresh Taste, bringing together researchers on campus and
stakeholders in Illinois and beyond to create agriculture and
food systems resilient to climate change, improve soil and water
quality, support healthy communities, and enhance food security.
“The aim of regenerative agriculture is to advance the triple
bottom line in agriculture — productivity, profitability, and
environmental health — in a way that enhances food security,
reinvigorates rural and urban communities, and restores the
natural systems that life depends on,” says Adam Davis, Head of
the Department of Crop Sciences at Illinois and lead
investigator on the Fresh Taste grant.
Regenerative agriculture distinguishes itself from, and yet
encompasses, other conventional and sustainable approaches, such
as organic production and no-till. Rather than dictating
specific on-farm practices, regenerative agriculture is
laser-focused on metrics and outcomes.
“Regenerative agriculture is about moving the needle, offering
an opportunity for practitioners to measure progress from
wherever they’re starting out. Rather than excluding people for
using certain practices, we’re pitching a big tent, focusing on
whatever it takes to get to greater biodiversity, soil quality,
resilience, and equity in human communities,” he says.
IRAI is offering multiple seed grants in an open request for
proposals (RFP). These competitive grants will be awarded to
interdisciplinary teams composed of Illinois scholars and
farming or food-system stakeholders who address key metrics of
regenerative agriculture: soil health parameters; on-farm
biodiversity; or community health and resilience.
“The funders supporting the IRAI are strong supporters of
regenerative agriculture,” affirms Karen Lehman, Director of
Fresh Taste. “We are thrilled to work with the University of
Illinois to develop a robust program of new faculty and seed
grants to students in collaboration with community partners.
This initiative will elevate the profile of the university as a
national leader in the field.”
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The Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and
Environment (iSEE), an interdisciplinary research institute at
Illinois, oversees IRAI, along with leaders from the Department of
Crop Sciences, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and
Environmental Sciences (ACES), and University of Illinois Extension.
“Regenerative agriculture is a promising approach to transforming
the agricultural system to make it economically and environmentally
sustainable,” says Madhu Khanna, iSEE Interim Director and ACES
Distinguished Professor in the Department of Agricultural and
Consumer Economics at Illinois. “iSEE is excited to facilitate
collaborations between our interdisciplinary research experts and
our external partners to advance and apply the science required to
realize this promise.”
Regenerative agriculture expert and crop sciences alumna Emily
Heaton, currently of Iowa State University, returns to Illinois in
January to help lead IRAI. She will join the crop sciences
department as Professor of Regenerative Agriculture and Extension
Specialist.
“I am thrilled to return to Illinois where I can put the knowledge
we generate through the IRAI to work on my own family farm in
Monticello. The IRAI is a true land-grant effort, and I am excited
to work alongside stakeholders to return value to their operations,
our landscapes, and our communities,” Heaton says.
The Illinois faculty team includes Heaton; Davis; Khanna; Kim
Kidwell, Dean of the College of ACES; and Evan H. DeLucia, G.
William Arends Professor of Integrative Biology, Professor of Plant
Biology, and Founding Director of iSEE.
Faculty and stakeholders are invited to a virtual meeting on October
30 to exchange ideas, identify challenge areas, develop pitches for
research teams, and provide feedback on the RFP. Participants can
join via zoom [https://go.illinois.edu/IRAI_Oct_30; passcode:
434644] from 3:30 to 5 p.m. More information on IRAI is available
at: https://go.illinois.edu/IRAI.
[Source: Adam Davis, Madhu
Khanna, Emily Heaton
News writer: Lauren Quinn] |
