Breeding Climate-Resilient Crops for the Nation's Breadbasket
The Great Plains produces a substantial portion of the nation's wheat, corn, sorghum, and beef. The Institute's crop genetics and breeding programs are therefore of national strategic importance. Our researchers are developing varieties with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses—drought, heat, and soil salinity—that are predicted to increase with climate change. Using both traditional breeding and advanced genomic tools, we have released several commercially successful lines of winter wheat that yield reliably with 20% less water. These varieties are now planted on millions of acres, directly bolstering the stability of the national wheat supply in dry years. Similarly, work on forage crops like alfalfa and native warm-season grasses improves the resilience of the livestock sector. By focusing on genetic solutions that reduce risk without increasing input costs, the Institute contributes directly to the predictability and sustainability of the core U.S. food production system.
Modeling Supply Chain Vulnerabilities and Resilience
Food security is as much about logistics as it is about production. The Institute's complex systems analysts have developed sophisticated models of the national agricultural supply chain, mapping the flow of grain, livestock, and inputs from the plains to population centers. These models have been used to identify critical chokepoints—a single rail bridge, a major processing plant—whose failure could disrupt food supplies. This work gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, when our models helped policymakers anticipate and mitigate disruptions in meat packing. Current research is examining the vulnerability of the supply chain to concurrent climate extremes (e.g., a drought in the plains coinciding with a heatwave in California's Central Valley) and proposing strategies for diversification and redundancy. This systems-level perspective is invaluable for federal agencies like USDA and the Department of Homeland Security in planning for national food security in an era of interconnected risks.
Informing Federal Farm and Conservation Policy
The Institute serves as an evidence-based resource for federal policymakers. Our economists and policy analysts routinely testify before Congressional agriculture committees and provide technical comments on proposed rules for farm bill programs. Our long-term research on the environmental and economic outcomes of practices like cover cropping and no-till agriculture directly informed the increased funding for conservation stewardship programs in recent farm bills. We have also conducted pivotal cost-benefit analyses of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), demonstrating its value not only for wildlife but for water quality and rural economies through hunting and recreation. By providing rigorous, non-partisan data, the Institute helps shape policies that incentivize practices aligning production goals with environmental stewardship, ensuring that federal investments yield maximum public benefit in terms of both a secure food supply and a healthy landscape.
Fostering Innovation in Sustainable Production Practices
Beyond specific policies and varieties, the Institute's most profound contribution may be in shifting the paradigm of what's possible in agriculture. Our integrated research on regenerative practices—polycultures, integrated livestock, perennial grains—provides a evidence-based vision for a next-generation agricultural system that can produce ample food while regenerating soil, cleaning water, and sequestering carbon. This research challenges the input-intensive model and offers a roadmap for a more resilient future. The Institute's demonstration farms and network of cooperating producers serve as living proof that these systems can work at scale. This body of work influences national conversations about agriculture's role in climate solutions and inspires a new generation of farmers and researchers. By proving that productivity and sustainability are not a zero-sum game, the Institute is helping to chart a course for a U.S. food system that is secure not just for the next harvest, but for the next century.