CIBO Joins $80M USDA Program Led by Virginia Tech

Technology to Support Conservation Practices Across Four States

CIBO Technologies is selected as the technology partner for a major $80 million USDA grant. The grant supports the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture, led by Virginia Tech University.

This groundbreaking program provides financial rewards to farmers who implement conservation practices like cover cropping and conservation crop rotation on farmland across Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Virginia.

The program will measure the impact of these practices on the environment. The data will help farmers earn premiums for their crops through a new marketplace designed to sell sustainable commodities to companies in the food and fuel industries.

The goal is to show how climate-smart practices improve soil health, water quality, and land resilience while making farms more profitable. With rising costs and climate challenges, this initiative gives farmers new opportunities to improve their land and income.

The program represents a strong public-private partnership. It brings together more than 14 partners, including farmer groups, businesses, and universities. By directly investing in producers, the program sets an example for national models that support both climate action and rural economic growth.

Led by Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the program uses real-time data to guide decision-making and increase transparency in sustainability. CIBO’s tools play a key role in showing the results of conservation practices in ways that benefit both the environment and the farmer.

The USDA-funded project offers a new way to support American agriculture by combining technology, research, and financial incentives to promote long-term farm success.