Marty Matlock

CAST papers are developed by interdisciplinary task forces composed of volunteer authors, chairs, reviewers, liaisons, and translators from academia, industry, and government. This index recognizes those contributors and highlights the breadth of expertise that supports CAST’s work.

Affiliation

University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

Title/Position

Professor, Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Bio

Dr. Marty Matlock is a professor of Ecological Engineering in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department. He served as Senior Advisor to MRP for USDA in 2021-22, founding Executive Director for the UA Resiliency Center 2016-2021, and founding Executive Director of the UA Office for Sustainability 2012-2016. Matlock was elected to the Board of Agriculture and Natural Resources for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine in 2022. Matlock is a registered professional engineer and a board certified environmental engineer in sustainable design. He conducts research on human - ecosystem interactions with a focus on risk, resiliency, and sustainability. He teaches courses in experimental design, life cycle assessment, and risk assessment. Matlock served on the US Secretary of Agriculture’s AC21 Committee, the USEPA Agricultural Science Committee, science advisory committee for the Field to Market Initiative for Sustainable Agriculture, and chair of the Cherokee Nation Environmental Protection Commission over the past 20 years.

Publications as Task Force Chair

January 24, 2022
CAST Commentary

Goals, Strengths and Limitations Governing the Use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in Food and Agriculture

This paper examines the goals, strengths, and limitations of using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) within food and agricultural systems. It outlines how LCA provides a systematic, science‑based approach for quantifying environmental impacts across complex agricultural supply chains, enabling improved decision-making, transparency, and sustainability performance.

Publications as Author

November 12, 2024
Special Publication

Potential for U.S. Agriculture to Be Greenhouse Gas Negative

This report explores the potential for U.S. agriculture to achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) neutrality or become GHG-negative by integrating current and emerging practices across crop and livestock systems. The analysis identifies five major opportunity areas: soil carbon management, nitrogen fertilizer management, animal production and manure handling, crop production efficiency, and on-farm energy use. The report emphasizes the need for on-farm demonstrations, technical support, and policy incentives to overcome economic and technological barriers.

June 28, 2021
CAST Commentary

The Role of Agricultural Science and Technology in Climate 21 Project Implementation

This commentary evaluates how agricultural science and technology can support implementation of the federal Climate 21 Project, which positions the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a central actor in national climate mitigation and resilience strategies. Agriculture and forestry are highlighted as the only major sectors capable of becoming net greenhouse gas sinks, offering substantial potential to help the United States reach net‑zero emissions by 2050 through soil carbon sequestration, improved nutrient management, reduced tillage, and strengthened crop and livestock systems.

Publications as Reviewer

May 15, 2024
Issue Paper

Impacts of Soil Health Practices on Hydrologic Processes

This paper synthesizes current research on the impacts of soil health practices—such as reduced tillage, cover cropping, and residue management—on hydrologic processes within agricultural and urban systems. These practices influence water infiltration, storage, and movement through the soil-water-atmosphere continuum, reducing runoff, erosion, and surface water contamination while potentially moderating flood risks.