Life cycle assessment (LCA) considers a product’s life cycle & quantifies the relevant impacts caused by it. The agricultural & food communities need to familiarize themselves with LCA use & interpretation because of its use to examine & quantify the impacts of agricultural production & its growing influence on decision-making.

The transition team for the Biden Administration introduced the Climate 21 Project as the blueprint for how the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) can help advance the role of agriculture and forestry to mitigate and adapt to climate change pressures. This report will summarize for each of the key recommendations and priorities where current agricultural science and technology for plant and animal production can be applied and where new investments will be critical to meeting the goals of the administration.

Everyone is concerned with return on investment, and agricultural research continues to be an example of the positive impact well-placed funding can have. Agriculture is a key to the nation’s economy, and research not only boosts that industry, it also promotes solutions for many of the country’s pressing problems in the areas of health, energy, environment, rural development, trade, and food safety.