Initiative Summary
Texas is the leading CO2-emitting state in the U.S. Despite perceptions, Texas wants to go green to propel the state toward becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Texas A&M AgriLife is proposing the Texas Conservation and Sustainability Initiative, a 5-year multi-commodity pilot project to transition Texas’ large agricultural sector to conservation and sustainability agriculture and forestry (CSAF) practices and develop new markets for conservation and sustainability. Target commodities include crops, animal production, and forest. As the premier research and education agency, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to advance the USDA’s goal of expanding production and markets for conservation and sustainability in the U.S. The agency has 250 county offices serving Texans in all 254 counties in the state, which will play a significant role in our recruiting efforts. Our key partners, the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) oversees 217 Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Texas, Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) manages its own 41-county Extension network, and University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) operates the Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Advancement (SARA). Through decades of service to the agricultural community, these agencies enjoy trusted partnerships with many generations of the state’s farmers, ranchers, and forest owners.
The Texas Conservation and Sustainability Initiative team includes key experts in agricultural commodity production, economics, technology, and market development from leading land grant universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges or Universities, and industry. Our experts will partner with various non-governmental organizations, state agencies, and commodity groups to bring conservation and sustainability solutions to Texas farms, grasslands, and forests. The diversity of Texas’ climates, soils, and agriculture allows our carefully crafted Texas Conservation and Sustainability Initiative to serve as a model for future conservation and sustainability programs nationwide. Outcomes of this initiative will identify economical and effective CSAF practices, improve efficiency in assessing GHG benefits, and develop market-based solutions to promote conservation and sustainability commodities and add end user value. By leveraging existing infrastructure, the proposed model is scalable nationally.
Project Team
Project Leads
Project Director
julie.howe@ag.tamu.edu
Co-Project Director
nithya.rajan@ag.tamu.edu
Project Manager
jason.vogel@ag.tamu.edu
Ambassadors
Lubbock
Co-Project Leads
Regional Teams
Vernon/Stephenville
Overton
El Paso/Sonora
Corpus/Beeville
Uvalde/Weslaco
Communication Team
Economics Team
MMRV Team
Animal Waste Team
Animal GHG Team
Partners
- Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board: John Foster
- Texas A&M Forest Service: Michelle Moore, Hughes Simpson & Eric Taylor
- Prairie View A&M University: Ram Ray, Ali Fares, Sunil Dhoubhadel & Elliot Washington
- Tarleton State University: Edward Osei, Catalin Dinulescu, Anne Egelston, Selin Guney, Ashley Lovell, Troy Thorne & Man Yu
- The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley: Engil Pereira, Teresa Feria Arroyo & Alexis Racelis
- BCarbon: Miguel Gonzalez & Melanie Martin
TCSI News
Texas producers invited to conservation incentive program webinar Jan. 29
The Texas Conservation and Sustainability Initiative, a Texas A&M AgriLife-led program, will host a free, informational webinar on Jan. 29 to help Texas farmers, ranchers and forest landowners learn about available conservation incentives, eligible practices for funding and market opportunities.
AgriLife Research kicks off climate-smart project
Aug. 4, 2023
Texas A&M AgriLife Research recently kicked off the Texas Climate-Smart Initiative, a five-year large-scale pilot project to work with Texas’ commodity producers to adopt climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices, assess benefits, and develop models for voluntary, market-based climate solutions.
From the ground up: Texas A&M leading the way with Climate Smart program
Nov. 8, 2022
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Texas A&M University will be looking to help farmers produce in more environmentally friendly ways.
Texas A&M AgriLife to lead historic investment in Texas’ efforts to become ‘climate-smart’
Sept. 16, 2022
Texas A&M AgriLife Research is anticipating the largest competitive grant in the organization’s history, up to $65 million, to execute a five-year multi-commodity project to work with Texas’ large agricultural sector on expanding climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
