Mission

The ARS National Climate Change, Soils, and Emissions Program has as its mission: to improve the quality of atmosphere and soil resources affected by, and having an effect on agriculture, and to understand the effects of, and prepare agriculture for, adaptation to climate change.

Relevance

The ARS Climate Change, Soils, and Air Emissions research strategy supports the following plans:

ARS Strategic Plan for FY 2006-2011, specifically Performance Measure 6.2.1:  Improve soil and air quality to enhance crop production and environmental quality. 

The Strategic Plan of USDA’s Research Education and Economics mission area. (see http://www.ocfo.usda.gov/usdasp/usdasp.htm)

Program Priorities

In planning and conducting Climate Change, Soils, and Air Emissions research, ARS will focus our efforts on several specific priorities:

• Enable improvements of air quality via management and mitigation of emissions from agricultural operations
• Develop knowledge and technologies for reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations through management of agricultural emissions and carbon sequestration
• Enable agriculture to adapt to climate change
• Maintain and enhance soil resources