Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
Name	Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Abbreviation	SARE
Formation	1988
Type	Grant program
Headquarters	United States
Parent organization	United States Department of Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is a United States federal grant program that funds research, education, and outreach to advance sustainable agricultural practices. It supports projects across production, environmental stewardship, and rural livelihoods, working with farmers, ranchers, researchers, and educators. SARE operates through regional administrative structures and competitive grants administered in coordination with national policies and agricultural institutions.

Overview

SARE funds interdisciplinary projects linking practitioners and institutions such as Land-grant university, Iowa State University, University of California, Davis, Cornell University, University of Minnesota, Penn State University, Oregon State University, University of Florida, Texas A&M University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Wisconsin–Madison, North Carolina State University, University of Kentucky, Michigan State University, Washington State University, University of Missouri, Kansas State University, University of Vermont, Colorado State University, University of Arkansas, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Rutgers University, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Arizona, University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech, University of California, Berkeley, Clemson University, Auburn University, University of Georgia, Louisiana State University, Iowa State University Extension, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Hawaii at Manoa, and University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus. It takes a systems-oriented approach influenced by models from Rodale Institute, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Farm Aid, Heifer International, Greenpeace, WWF, Food and Agriculture Organization, World Bank, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, United Nations Environment Programme, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Academy of Sciences, American Farmland Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, Pew Charitable Trusts, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and MacArthur Foundation approaches to agricultural development. SARE emphasizes on-farm trials, stakeholder education, and peer-reviewed dissemination through venues like Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Agronomy Journal, Applied and Environmental Soil Science, Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, Agricultural Systems, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Ecological Applications, Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, and Journal of Environmental Quality.

History and Program Development

SARE originated from legislative action during the tenure of policymakers connected to 1985 Food Security Act, Farm Bill (1985), and subsequent amendments that engaged members such as Patrick Leahy, Jesse Helms, Tom Harkin, Howard Buffett, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Richard Lugar, Strom Thurmond, Bob Dole, Orrin Hatch, and agencies including United States Congress, United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Technology Assessment, National Research Council, Economic Research Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Agricultural Research Service. Early program design drew on pilot projects from Rodale Institute, ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas), Cooperative Extension System, and demonstrations modeled after Soil Conservation Service initiatives. Over multiple reauthorizations in federal legislation such as the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 and the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, SARE expanded regional offices and diversified grant portfolios, aligning with policy frameworks influenced by Sustainable Development Goals, Rio Earth Summit, and reports from the World Commission on Environment and Development.

Grant Programs and Funding Mechanisms

SARE administers regionally managed competitive grants allocated through five regional councils comparable to networks like Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, and state consortia associated with Extension Service. Funding streams have included appropriations coordinated with United States Department of Agriculture, cooperative agreements with Natural Resources Conservation Service, and grants administered with partners including National Institute of Food and Agriculture, National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Agency for International Development, Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, and philanthropic collaborations with Rockefeller Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Grant types are similar to portfolios seen at MacArthur Foundation and include producer-led research, graduate student awards, professional development, farmer-rancher grants, on-farm research, and mission-driven demonstration projects.

Research, Education, and Outreach Initiatives

SARE supports applied research on practices like cover cropping, integrated pest management, agroforestry, crop rotation, reduced tillage, organic transition, livestock integration, precision agriculture, and soil health monitoring, engaging institutions such as Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Entomological Society of America, American Phytopathological Society, American Society for Horticultural Science, National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, Land Stewardship Project, Sustainable Food Center, Slow Food USA, Farmers' Markets USA, LocalHarvest, Heifer International, Community Supported Agriculture, Vegetarian Society, National Organic Program, Organic Crop Improvement Association, Certified Naturally Grown, and Permaculture Institute. Educational activities mirror extension and outreach models from Cooperative Extension, 4-H, Future Farmers of America, Community Colleges of agriculture programs, and continuing education through partnerships with Master Gardener Program chapters and non-governmental actors like National Young Farmers Coalition and ATTRA.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluation of SARE-funded work uses metrics observed in studies from National Research Council, USDA Economic Research Service, Environmental Working Group, Pew Research Center, US Government Accountability Office, and academic assessments published in journals including Agricultural Systems and Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. Outcomes documented include adoption rates among producers in regions covered by Midwest, Northeast, South, West, and Hawaii and Pacific Islands, demonstrated reductions in synthetic input use, improvements in soil organic matter, enhanced biodiversity on farms, and economic analyses akin to case studies by Land Institute, Center for Rural Affairs, Sustainable Food Trust, Food Research & Action Center, and Union of Concerned Scientists.

Governance and Partnerships

SARE is governed through regional administrative councils that coordinate with federal entities like United States Department of Agriculture and partner organizations such as Land-grant university networks, Cooperative Extension System, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, American Farmland Trust, Rodale Institute, The Nature Conservancy, Heifer International, National Farmers Union, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, and philanthropic partners including Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation. These partnerships enable cross-sector collaboration with research bodies like National Academy of Sciences and programmatic linkages to policy initiatives from Farm Bill (2008), Farm Bill (2014), and Farm Bill (2018).

Category:Agricultural research organizations in the United States