A new policy brief on agricultural diversification is now available from the Diverse Corn Belt Project (DCB) and the Council for Agricultural Sciences and Technology (CAST).

The policy brief outlines four priority areas that emerged through DCB’s research:

1. 1. Federal crop insurance reform under Farm Bill Title XI to better accommodate diversified production systems;
   2. Improvements to conservation incentive programs under Title II, including EQIP, CRP, and CSP, to more directly incentivize production diversity;
   3. Investment in post-harvest market infrastructure — including storage, aggregation, processing, and manufacturing — for diversified agricultural products; and
   4. Expansion of institutional procurement frameworks to build durable local markets.

These findings were also featured in a webinar presented by co-authors Lauren Asprooth, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Brennan Radulski, University of Vermont.

Findings are intended to inform policymakers and agricultural decision makers seeking to foster more resilient and regenerative food systems in the Corn Belt.

Read the policy brief here, and see the webinar below.