Consensus
The public colleges and universities established in 1862, 1890, and 1994 as part of the land-grant system have historically played an important role in bringing the assets of institutions of higher education to bear on the public good. This report describes how the land-grant institutions can increase their collective impact for the public good by growing their institution-wide capacity to partner with each other, with communities, and with organizations across different sectors of society.
The report concludes that developing successful collaborative platforms require authentic engagement and long-term relationship building between universities and their partners. It found that a network of organizations, faculty members, and university professionals invested in supporting engagement and collaboration is emerging on campuses, states, and nationally. Among other roles, they act as catalysts for and facilitators of collaboration, help colleges and universities learn from collaborations, and seek to develop appropriate metrics of outcomes and impact with the input of invested partners. To encourage and sustain the involvement of more academic units from across the land-grant institution in collaborative activity, university leadership can establish infrastructure, incentives, rewards, and other supports. The intention is to move the institutional culture to embrace external engagement as a means of aligning their academic programs with public values. By strengthening collaboration and embedding public purpose into research, teaching, and extension, land-grant institutions can generate more meaningful outcomes for society.
100 pages
·
7 x 10
·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-09914-5
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/29092
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Fulfilling the Public Mission of the Land-Grant System: Building Platforms for Collaboration and Impact. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Consensus
Global demand for animal-derived foods such as meat, eggs, and milk is increasing, even as arable land and water to support animal production are declining worldwide. Among the approaches to meet global demand in a resource-constrained future is the genetic improvement of livestock to increase the efficiency and sustainability of animal agriculture. Food-animal breeders are beginning to leverage advances in the fields of genomics and biotechnology to make targeted changes in DNA, called heritable genetic modifications (HGMs), that can be passed onto subsequent generations, thereby significantly accelerating the process of genetic improvement in populations of food animals.
At the request of Congress, Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals examines the biological basis of potential health risks relevant to the regulation of HGMs in food animals. This report considers whether hazards could arise during the development of HGM food animals, the methods available to detect hazards, and the likelihood that they could result in harm. Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals recommends conducting additional research to fill gaps in understanding of how both HGM techniques and conventional breeding methods influence animal welfare and the quality of animal foods, establishing a study group to gauge public attitudes toward animal biotechnology in agriculture, and developing best practices for public engagement regarding such technologies.
184 pages
·
8.5 x 11
·
paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71843-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71844-9
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27750
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Consensus
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, infectious prion disease affecting the central nervous system of some species of Cervidae-animals such as deer, elk, and moose. Recognized as a disease in the 1980s but suspected to have been present in the United States for decades longer, CWD affects both captive and free-ranging cervids and has been reported in 35 states and five Canadian provinces of North America as of August 1, 2024. The potential ramifications of the increasing spread of CWD are serious, and include negative impacts on ecosystems, and large economic costs for agencies with management responsibilities related to cervids and for industries that depend on cervids or cervid products. Cultural and food security impacts for communities with traditions tied to cervid hunting are also impacted.
In 2020, Congress passed America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act (P.L. 116-188), directing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to lead a task force for addressing CWD in the United States drawing on a study commissioned from the National Academies. This report will assist the task force in prioritizing research and developing future CWD management strategies. It describes the state of knowledge regarding how CWD is transmitted among cervids, the current distribution of disease outbreaks, and the effectiveness of current diagnostic, prevention, and control methods available to limit the spread of the disease.
202 pages
·
8.5 x 11
·
paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71478-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73382-0
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27449
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. State of Knowledge Regarding Transmission, Spread, and Management of Chronic Wasting Disease in U.S. Captive and Free-Ranging Cervid Populations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Consensus
Grapevine red blotch disease (GRBD) and grapevine leafroll disease (GLD) are growing threats to the California wine and wine grape sector, which contributes $73 billion annually to the state's economy. These viral diseases not only reduce grape yield and the productive lifespan of vineyards but also affect sugars and other aspects of fruit quality that are relevant to wine flavor profiles. Due to the complexity of the processing and aging winemaking involves, it can take years for the full impact of both diseases on the quality of the final product to become apparent.
At the request of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, this report reviews the current state of GRBD and GLD knowledge, identifies knowledge gaps, and proposes key research and actions that could help reduce the spread and economic impact of these diseases. The report sets out guidance that could help improve GRBD and GLD management and offers strategies that may yield promising solutions for managing these diseases.
306 pages
·
6 x 9
·
paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71550-4
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73346-4
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27472
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Advancing Vineyard Health: Insights and Innovations for Combating Grapevine Red Blotch and Leafroll Diseases. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Workshop
Over the past two decades, wildfires in western North America have greatly increased in frequency, magnitude and severity. Scientists have documented three main causes - a century of suppression and inadequate forest management that has led to overly dense, fuel-rich forests; climate change, turning woodlands and grasslands into hot, dry tinder boxes; and the spread of urbanization, increasing the probability of man-made ignitions. Less well known are the environmental and social implications associated with the acceleration of these trends.
To explore these concerns and to identify possible policy responses, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Board on Environmental Change and Society, in partnership with the Royal Society of Canada, convened a workshop in June 2024, "The Social and Ecological Consequences of Future Wildfire in the West". Over two days, two dozen wildfire experts and a hybrid audience of over 200 participants explored the history, current state, and anticipated future of wildfire science and policy across the western United States and Canada. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshop.
146 pages
·
8.5 x 11
·
paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72679-4
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72680-8
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27972
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Social-Ecological Consequences of Future Wildfires and Smoke in the West: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Workshop_in_brief
On February 27-28, 2024, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources held a hybrid workshop entitled State of Knowledge and Research Needs Regarding Heritable Genomic Modification in Food Animals. The workshop aimed to examine the state of the science of the development of food animals with heritable GMs and their potential health risks, identify knowledge gaps in the ability to assess health risks, and explore potential approaches to address them.
12 pages
·
8.5 x 11
·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71675-6
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27591
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. The State of Knowledge and Research Needs Regarding Heritable Genomic Modification in Food Animals: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Workshop_in_brief
Avian Influenza A (H5) viruses have circulated globally for decades among migratory bird populations. The recent emergence of Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in U.S. dairy cattle has led to challenges in managing and controlling the spread of H5 viruses between livestock, wildlife, and companion animals, as well as to humans from infected animals. The National Academies hosted a public workshop in October 2024 to explore potential research priorities that could inform readiness and response to the outbreak. Discussions followed an interdisciplinary One Health approach, bringing together experts from across human, veterinary, plant, and environmental health disciplines, and builds on published federal research priorities for H5N1 to include perspectives beyond basic translational clinical sciences, to social sciences, veterinary health, agricultural economics, and occupational health, among others.
14 pages
·
8.5 x 11
·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73112-7
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/28581
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Potential Research Priorities to Inform U.S. Readiness and Response to Avian Influenza A (H5N1): Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Consensus
The United States is an important food producer globally, in part because of its abundance of agriculturally productive soils. However, management practices that maximize yields have caused losses in soil organic matter, poor soil structure and water-holding capacity, and increased salinity on millions of acres of land - and have adversely affected the microbial communities that are the drivers of many soil processes. At the same time, recent scientific advances have spurred interest in how microbial communities can support soil health, food quality, and human health.
It is in this context that the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture asked the National Academies to explore the linkages between soil health and human health. The report finds that to improve soil health, federal agencies need to promote the importance of soil health, support translational research, and develop a coordinated national approach to monitor soil health over time and space. Given the potential that microbiomes have in modulating soil, plant, and human health, there is also a pressing need to determine which microbial features, if any, contribute to quantifying or fortifying health in both human and soil systems and to understand the direct and indirect roles of soil, alongside other environmental factors, in influencing human microbial colonization and subsequent health outcomes. Such investigation involves delving into the relatively sparse or disconnected research regarding the microbiome continuum that links soil and human systems.
354 pages
·
7 x 10
·
paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71508-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72265-9
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27459
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Consensus
A White Paper on Building a Scientific Roadmap to a Carbon-Negative Agricultural System was drafted by a scientific working group of the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA). At the request of the USFRA and with support from the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine appointed a six-person committee to review the draft white paper by examining its clarity of key messages, effectiveness of organization, and scientific rigor.
58 pages
·
8.5 x 11
·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72450-3
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27471
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Review of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action White Paper on Building a Scientific Roadmap to a Carbon-Negative Agricultural System. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Workshop
Climate change is fundamentally changing ecosystems and their fire conditions, and the 2023 fire season highlighted the urgency of developing and implementing solutions to address wildland fires. Wildland fires transfer carbon between the land and the atmosphere through emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), along with other gasses and particles. Though fires can be a natural part of healthy, evolving ecosystems, large, uncontrolled wildland fires can have devastating consequences to human health, communities, and biodiversity. Human-driven changes in wildland fire regimes have the potential to increase GHG emissions at a scale that could inhibit global efforts to achieve net-zero GHG emissions in the coming decades.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop on September 13-15, 2023, to identify opportunities to improve measurements and model projections of GHG emissions from wildland fires and discuss management practices that could be incorporated into current and future action plans. Participants emphasized the importance of learning from historic and current Indigenous fire management practices and centering Indigenous voices and leadership across all stages of fire management. Different global ecosystems - particularly temperate, boreal, and tropical biomes - have been impacted by climate and land use changes where historical fire regimes and the carbon balance have been disrupted. However, discussions highlighted the diverse set of available regionally differentiated and ecosystem-appropriate mitigation strategies. With improved understanding of fires and their GHG emissions, better information for mitigation and management, and incorporation of wildfire GHG emissions into national accounting mechanisms, practitioners, communities, and decision makers will be better equipped to prepare, adapt, and respond to future wildland fires.
94 pages
·
6 x 9
·
paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71553-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72075-3
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27473
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Wildland Fires: Toward Improved Monitoring, Modeling, and Management: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Consensus
Addressing climate change is essential and possible, and it offers a host of benefits - from better public health to new economic opportunities. The United States has a historic opportunity to lead the way in decarbonization by transforming its current energy system to one with net-zero emissions of carbon dioxide. Recent legislation has set the nation on the path to reach its goal of net zero by 2050 in order to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. However, even if implemented as designed, current policy will get the United States only part of the way to its net-zero goal.
Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States provides a comprehensive set of actionable recommendations to help policymakers achieve a just and equitable energy transition over the next decade and beyond, including policy, technology, and societal dimensions. This report addresses federal and subnational policy needs to overcome implementation barriers and gaps with a focus on energy justice, workforce development, public health, and public engagement. The report also presents a suite of recommendations for the electricity, transportation, built environment, industrial, fossil fuels, land use, and finance sectors.
822 pages
·
7 x 10
·
paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-68284-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-68285-1
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/25931
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Workshop_in_brief
To consider how an Earth system science approach can inform research on climate intervention, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a virtual workshop on June 20-22, 2023 titled Climate Intervention in an Earth Systems Science Framework. Individuals with a wide range of physical, ecological, and social sciences expertise explored climate interventions within the context of convergent research and the capacities of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The workshop drew on the National Academies report Next Generation Earth Systems Science at the National Science Foundation, which called upon NSF to pursue an Earth systems science initiative that emphasizes research on interconnections and feedback between natural and social processes; focuses on real-world problems; enhances the participation of social, engineering, and data scientists; and strengthens efforts to include diverse perspectives in research.
12 pages
·
8.5 x 11
·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71694-2
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27476
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Climate Intervention in an Earth Systems Science Framework: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Workshop
While technologies are clearly instrumental in transitioning away from fossil fuel-based energy and toward a decarbonized economy, decisions about which technologies are prioritized, how they are implemented, and the policies that drive these changes will have profound effects on people and communities, with important implications for equity, jobs, environmental and energy justice, health, and more. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions was tasked with assessing the broad range of technological, policy, and societal dimensions of decarbonizing the U.S. economy. The committee produced a 2021 report that provides the U.S. government with a roadmap of equitable and robust decarbonization policies. The next report of the committee will address the broader range of policy actors who play a role in equitable energy transition.
To inform its deliberations, the committee hosted a 1-day workshop on July 26, 2022 to discuss critical issues of equity and justice during the energy transition. The goal of the workshop, titled Pathways to an Equitable and Just Transition: Principles, Best Practices, and Inclusive Stakeholder Engagement, was to move beyond energy technologies and elicit ideas and insights to inform the development of principles, best practices, and actionable recommendations for a broad range of policy actors and stakeholders in order to fully operationalize equity, justice, and inclusion. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.
56 pages
·
6 x 9
·
paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-70176-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70177-5
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26935
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Pathways to an Equitable and Just Energy Transition: Principles, Best Practices, and Inclusive Stakeholder Engagement: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Consensus
Extreme weather and wildfires, intensified by climate change, are damaging the native plant communities of landscapes across the United States. Native plant communities are foundational to thriving ecosystems, delivering goods and services that regulate the environment and support life, provide food and shelter for a wide range of native animals, and embody a wealth of genetic information with many beneficial applications. Restoring impaired ecosystems requires a supply of diverse native plant seeds that are well suited to the climates, soils, and other living species of the system.
This report examines the needs for native plant restoration and other activities, provides recommendations for improving the reliability, predictability, and performance of the native seed supply, and presents an ambitious agenda for action. An Assessment of Native Seed Needs and the Capacity for Their Supply considers the various challenges facing our natural landscapes and calls for a coordinated public-private effort to scale-up and secure a cost-effective national native seed supply.
252 pages
·
8.5 x 11
·
paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-69025-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69026-9
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26618
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. An Assessment of Native Seed Needs and the Capacity for Their Supply: Final Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Consensus
This letter describes the work of the Committee on Assistance to the California Department of Food and Agriculture Pierces Disease/Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Board on Grapevine Viruses and Grapevine Disease Research and critiques the California Department of Food and Agriculture Pierces Disease/Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Board Request for Proposals that was issued in December 2022.
27 pages
·
8.5 x 11
·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70632-7
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27145
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. A Critique of the California Department of Food and Agriculture Pierce's Disease/Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Board's Request for Proposals: Critique of RFP Letter Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Letter
Grapevine red blotch disease is a recently recognized disease of grapes that has been detected across some of the major grape-growing regions in the United States and poses a threat to the $162 billion U.S. grape industry. At the request of the state of California, this publication describes the work of the Committee on Assistance to the California Department of Food and Agriculture Pierces Disease/Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Board on Grapevine Viruses and Grapevine Disease Research and transmits the final evaluation by the committee of the research proposals on grapevine virus diseases and their vectors.
17 pages
·
8.5 x 11
·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70105-8
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26915
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Report to the California Department of Food and Agriculture Pierce's Disease/Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Board on the Review of Research Proposals on Grapevine Virus Diseases and Their Vectors. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Consensus
Land-grant colleges and universities play a crucial role in addressing the complex challenges facing the U.S. agricultural system and global food security. Multidisciplinary collaboration involving a diversity of land-grant institutions has the potential to accelerate scientific progress on those challenges. However, historical and current funding disparities have prevented Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges and Universities from being full partners in multi-institutional collaborations. This report, produced by request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture acting on a congressional directive, examines how enhanced cooperation across the land-grant system could deepen and expand the impact of its agricultural work, which is critical to address evolving industry and environmental challenges, as well as demands from consumers.
The report concludes that many investigators are unaware of potential partners with complementary expertise across the system. The report states that adopting a culture of collaboration could improve the coordination in the land-grant system. Key report recommendations include improving systems and incentives for facilitating academic partnerships, providing dedicated support for collaboration across the land-grant system, and enhancing outreach strategies for communicating about the beneficial outcomes of collaborative research.
62 pages
·
8.5 x 11
·
paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-69107-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69108-7
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26640
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Enhancing Coordination and Collaboration Across the Land-Grant System. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to:
Consensus
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, with petroleum accounting for 90 percent of transportation fuels. Policymakers encounter a range of questions as they consider low-carbon fuel standards to reduce emissions, including total emissions released from production to use of a fuel or the potential consequences of a policy. Life-cycle assessment is an essential tool for addressing these questions. This report provides researchers and practitioners with a toolkit for applying life-cycle assessment to estimate greenhouse gas emissions, including identification of the best approach to use for a stated policy goal, how to reduce uncertainty and variability through verification and certification, and the core assumptions that can be applied to various fuel types. Policymakers should still use a tailored approach for each fuel type, given that petroleum-based ground, air, and marine transportation fuels necessitate different considerations than alternative fuels including biofuels, hydrogen, and electricity. Ultimately, life-cycle assessments should clearly document what assumptions and methods are used to ensure transparency.
236 pages
·
8.5 x 11
·
paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-27393-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-27394-3
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26402
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Current Methods for Life-Cycle Analyses of Low-Carbon Transportation Fuels in the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Import this citation to: