Sustainability
* Image courtesy of Getty Images
The world’s population is expected to reach 9 billion by the year 2050. Producing enough food for our growing planet may be the single greatest challenge the world will face. To meet this huge demand, farmers, ranchers, and suppliers must find ways to produce more food in a sustainably, environmentally friendly way.
ARS is dedicated to helping farmers address the increasing global demand for food, feed, fiber, and fuel while also sustaining the environmental and economic viability of agriculture. As a multidisciplinary practice and philosophy, sustainable agriculture unites researchers from a diverse range of scientific studies — microbiology, animal nutrition, soil science, plant physiology, and more — to the common goal of overcoming challenges related to productivity, profitability, energy efficiency, and natural resource management.
Here are some examples of our work:
In This Section

Let’s Get Smart About Climate Change and Farming
ARS developed climate smart farming systems by employing artificial intelligence to help farms become more sustainable.
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Protecting Water
ARS scientists in Arizona are exploring ways to use water more efficiently, by recycling wastewater to irrigate crops.
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Earth Day: Investing in Our Planet
Learn how ARS’s research and accomplishments promote sustainability, address climate change, and benefit the environment.
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Revolutionary New Freezing Method
A new method of freezing food without turning it rock solid could not only improve the quality, but save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, too.
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Environmentally Friendly Air Travel
ARS scientists are working to make a better jet biofuel and make air travel more sustainable.
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Fighting Cranberry Pests
Tiny, wormlike organisms called nematodes that attack cranberry pests could offer a natural alternative to using insecticides.
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Bacteria Doing Good on Earth and in Space!
ARS scientists aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty while researching ways to manage manure and protect water resources.
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Readying Crops and People for Climate Change
A high-tech facility called SoyFACE allows for open-air field tests simulating greenhouse gases conditions predicted for 2050.
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Be a Pro
ARS scientists helped to develop Irrigator Pro, an agricultural decision support tool that helps farmers and growers schedule irrigation.
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Eating Our Way to Fire Mitigation
ARS researchers have developed innovative methods to reduce fires exacerbated by highly flammable grasses.
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Hammer-time
The "Slide Hammer Seeder” can efficiently seed a variety of small-seeded herbs and vegetables.
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Hidden Valley Fescue
ARS scientists released “Hidden Valley” meadow fescue, a type of flowering grass that flourishes across the midwestern U.S.
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New Fish in the Water
ARS researchers have bred an improved salmon strain and shared the eggs with commercial fish farms.
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This is Exhausting
An innovative method to control weed growth by simply using engine exhaust heat produced by a walk-behind tractor’s engine.
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Yakety Yak
ARS researchers and their partners have developed the most complete genome sequence to date for yak and Scottish Highland cattle.
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Rejuvenating Soil with Biochar
Scientists examining biochar's potential to rejuvenate the soil, especially in degraded land areas like mining sites.
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Matching Milkweeds to Monarch Butterflies
Studies of milkweed species in critical breeding areas show that female monarch butterflies prefer laying their eggs on certain species.
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“Juicing” Alfalfa for a Sustainable Aquaculture
Scientists are experimenting with alfalfa as an alternative to using fishmeal in aquaculture feeds given to "farm-raised" fish.
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A “Burning” Ecological Question
When it comes to restoring rangeland habitats, there is no replacement for "prescribed fire," according to ARS ecologists.
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Check Out Our Cool Map
Use our interactive map to find out what revolutionary research is being conducted in your state.
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