The Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) is part of a UW-Madison team awarded a USDA multi-region, multi-institution research and outreach project to assess the impact of COVID-19 on food and agricultural systems and develop strategies for coping with future crises. “Lessons from COVID-19: Positioning Regional Food Supply Chains for Future Pandemics, Natural Disasters and Human-made Crises” is one of 17 projects nationwide to receive funding through a new program area of the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative targeting rapid response solutions to the pandemic.

In this two-year, $1 million project, research will take place in three food and farm regions—the Upper Midwest, Southern Florida and Southern California. The UW-Madison team, led by CIAS Associate Director Michelle Miller, will collaborate with the University of Minnesota to explore food flows in the Upper Midwest. The UW-Madison team also includes Andrew Stevens from the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics and Lindsey Day Farnsworth from the Division of Extension. The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities is the project’s lead institution, with Professor Hikaru Peterson in the university’s Department of Applied Economics serving as the principal investigator.

Project activities will include exploring behavioral change among consumers during COVID-19, quantifying capacity of regional food systems, and developing training toolkits for those working with food and farm business owners.

To see the full announcement, go to https://ecals.cals.wisc.edu/2020/11/20/uw-madison-partner-in-new-usda-nifa-project-to-explore-lessons-from-pandemics-impact-on-food-system/. For more information, contact Michelle Miller at mmmille6@wisc.edu.