Webinar “Diversifying the Corn Belt: Policy Pathways for a Resilient Agricultural Future”

CAST is partnering with Diverse Corn Belt to present Diversifying the Corn Belt: Policy Pathways for a Resilient Agricultural Future, a new policy brief on the structural and policy conditions affecting agricultural diversification in the U.S. Corn Belt.

In Illinois, Iowa and Indiana, 94% of crop production is dedicated to corn and soybeans. Research indicates that diversified agricultural systems — incorporating extended crop rotations, perennial crops, agroforestry, grazed livestock and horticultural crops — can build farm resilience, improve soil and water quality, reduce input costs and strengthen local food systems, while remaining comparably productive to conventional systems.

The brief draws on three years of participatory research with 178 stakeholders and 725 surveyed farmers to present 19 ranked policy opportunities across four areas: federal crop insurance, Farm Bill conservation programs, post-harvest market infrastructure and institutional procurement. Each opportunity was evaluated for both feasibility and transformative potential by a team of academics and agricultural practitioners.

Co-first authors Lauren Asprooth (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Brennan Radulski (University of Vermont) will present key findings and take questions from attendees.

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