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NIFA supports research, educational, and extension efforts in a wide range of scientific fields related to agricultural and behavioral sciences.

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    Check out this five-day workshop in March 2024 workshop, designed to help you learn about NIFA grants and resources for grants development and management.

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    Natural Resource EconomicsSharePrint Friendly Email Twitter Facebook
    
    Business and Economics
      Markets and Trade
          Natural Resource Economics
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          StrikeForceThe long-term viability of the food supply depends upon the sustainable use of natural resources. Unlike most agricultural inputs, such as fertilizer or animal feed, most natural resources do not have prices determined in the market. The field of Natural Resource Economics seeks to value natural resources to aid in the optimization of the production of goods and services from agricultural lands while protecting the environment.

Importance of Natural Resource Economics

Successful stewardship of the land entails understanding the complex interrelationships between environmental and market forces. Research is pursued to understand why producers adopt sustainable technologies and identify incentives as well as costs and benefits to producers and the environment.

Resource economists provide science-based information to help agriculture producers balance production demands with elements central to agricultural sustainability, including:

Maintenance and improvement of air and soil quality
	Adaptation and management of climate change dynamics
	Efficient use of surface and groundwater supplies
	Maintenance of landscape vistas, wild plant and animal habitats, and recreational areasNatural resource economics also demonstrates how policy incentives might motivate better choices by agriculture producers and makes predictions about the potential side effects of those choices.

NIFA’s Impact

NIFA programs support development of a robust agricultural market sector through:

Supporting collaboration between scientists and natural resource economists
	Exploring land-use strategies
	Developing strategies to optimize production while protecting the environment
	Conducting research to help policymakers, farmers, and ranchers make sound land-use decisions
	Developing better ways to assign value to non-market entities and ecosystem services

  Programs
    Climate Change: Adaptation, Mitigation and Resilience
              Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities Program Area
              Urban, Indoor, and Emerging Agriculture
              Equipment Grants Program (EGP)
              From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals (NextGen)

  Funding Opportunities
    Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Education and Workforce Development
              Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Sustainable Agricultural Systems Return to top
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