嘿嘿视频

Alessandro Ossola Named Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research

FFAR Award Advances Research for Climate-Ready Urban Gardening and Farming

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嘿嘿视频 professor Alessandro Ossola reaches into canopy of tree in urban garden
Alessandro Ossola, an assistant professor in 嘿嘿视频 Plant Sciences, uses big data to understand the climate suitability of urban tree crops. He's developing a tool to help urban farmers and gardeners select trees resilient to climate change. (Courtesy Alessandro Ossola)

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, or FFAR, named 嘿嘿视频 Assistant Professor among its 10 recipients of the 2022 . The award, (April 24), provides early-career scientists with funding to conduct audacious food and agriculture research without the pressure of securing additional funding.

Ossola is an assistant agronomist in the Department of Plant Sciences. His research is leveraging big data to create novel scientific evidence on the climate suitability and vulnerability of dozens of urban tree crop species across the United States.

Head shot of 嘿嘿视频 agronomist Alessandro Ossola, smiling in light blue button-up shirt
Alessandro Ossola

By crowd-sourcing data from urban farmers, the project will develop robust climate models for selected tree cultivars and varieties. The researchers will use these models to build a data portal and plant selection tool for climate-ready tree crops to assist urban farmers with planning, establishing and growing climate-resilient urban food systems.

鈥淲e have the historic opportunity to design edible urban landscapes that will thrive 鈥 not just survive 鈥 under climate change,鈥 Ossola said. 鈥淲e want to empower urban farmers and gardeners to create edible forests that are climate-ready. This award will allow researchers to deliver actionable science to community farmers across the US, particularly those in underserved areas.鈥

Congress established FFAR by way of the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement the Department of Agriculture鈥檚 research agenda. FFAR鈥檚 model matches federal funding with private funding. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science to benefit farmers, consumers and the environment.

We have the historic opportunity to design edible urban landscapes that will thrive 鈥 not just survive 鈥 under climate change. 鈥 Alessandro Ossola

Research by the 10 鈥淣ew Innovators鈥 reflects FFAR鈥檚 commitment to scientific workforce development and helps create new avenues of knowledge that deliver groundbreaking solutions to difficult challenges.

鈥淲hen scientists can spend less time searching for funding, that means more time for science,鈥 said Saharah Moon Chapotin, FFAR executive director. 鈥淔FAR is proud to support these early career scientists as they pursue the creative research that will overcome current and future challenges to our agricultural and food systems.鈥

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Environment Food & Agriculture Science and Climate

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