The Land Use Change Initiative (LUCI) unites stakeholders across sectors to build clarity, consensus and actionable solutions for land use change estimates in the United States.
Supported by the United Soybean Board/U.S. Soy and managed by CAL Consulting LLC, LUCI brings together farmers, ranchers, conservationists, academics, corporations and others to align on terminology, measurement and impact assessment methods.
Join us to help shape a fair and sustainable future for land use change practices!
Overview
How we define and estimate “land use change” (LUC) is crucial for managing our precious natural resources. Accurate LUC estimates significantly influence decision-making and program development, directly affecting:
- Farmer and rancher livelihoods
- Biodiversity
- Water security
- Food security
- Energy security
- Other critical ecosystem services
However, achieving accurate LUC estimation is challenging due to a lack of consensus, disparate data sources, and non-harmonized calculation methods.
Project Resources and Products
LUCI Charter: The Charter outlines the objectives, structure, roles, responsibilities, and current deliverables of the Land Use Change Initiative. This document is subject to periodic review and amendment as needed to adapt to the initiative’s evolving needs.
Primer Report: Provides background information on issues associated with estimating land use change to support the two Land Use Change Assessment Workshop sessions which were conducted in April 2023.
Proceedings Report: Outlines a two-part workshop held in April 2023 to convene a multi-stakeholder group focused on the state of the science and key gaps in LUC assessment, data, and methodologies.
The White Paper: Describes critical issues and gaps, and identifies where the opportunities exist for implementing change.
Land Use Change Summit 2024 Proceedings Report: Outlines the first annual LUCI in-person event held on July 29-30, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois at McDonald’s Headquarters. This dynamic, outcome-driven event delved into the intricacies of land use change assessment and its crucial role in shaping sustainable futures. The document outlines which stakeholder organizations were present, key objectives and outcomes of the event
Connect
For inquiries, please contact [email protected].
To express interest in joining a task force or otherwise contributing to the project, please fill out the Expression of Interest form.
The United Soybean Board cannot influence government regulations or policy.