Adapting Agriculture to Climate Risks

Food systems are profoundly connected with the environment, and changing climate patterns put food production increasingly at risk. In this presentation, Dr. Mueller presented his research on adapting agriculture to climate risks with the aim of achieving more sustainable agricultural production while also helping agricultural systems adapt to climate change. His research uses modeling with spatial data and artificial intelligence (AI) to visualize the complex interactions between climate change, land use, resource availability, and production outcomes. Mueller explores the interdependence of three central aspects of climate risk and adaptation: vulnerability reduction, hazard reduction, and exposure reduction. Mueller draws conclusions from his research using complex models of various climate risks including wildfires, droughts, and heavy rainfall and their impact on agriculture from crops to livestock. Mueller explores how climate risk framing allows researchers to understand adaptation options, including vulnerability reduction for dairy, rainfed crop migration, and irrigation/ET-driven reductions in extreme heat.