FEWscapes Scenarios: Aspirational Pathways for Food, Energy, Water, and Ecosystem Security in the Upper Mississippi River Basin to the Year 2050

media release: The Wisconsin Energy Institute helps facilitate a seminar series focused on UW–Madison expertise in sustainable energy. The series provides students and the public with the opportunity to explore sustainable energy solutions, learn about the challenges facing sustainable energy, and interact with experts from across campus.

This seminar is offered online via Zoom webinar, and registration is required. You can register once and receive access to all seven Fall 2026 seminars using this registration link.

Join us on December 7 at 3:30 p.m. for this Sustainable Energy Seminar presentation by Eric Booth and Kelsie Ferin, Scientists in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences at UW-Madison.

Abstract

FEWscapes is led by scientists and educators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to advance knowledge and support decision-making for food, energy, water, and ecosystem security in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The project combines ecosystem modeling, policy and social research, and community engagement to discover new insights and inform regional policy and management.

In this seminar, Booth and Ferin will introduce the FEWscapes project and showcase its four foundational scenarios for landscape change in the Upper Mississippi River Basin to the year 2050. They will discuss the pathways that were developed with input from agriculture and natural resources practitioners to highlight promising opportunities and potential threats to achieving future targets for food, energy, water, and ecosystems in the Basin. Booth and Ferin will also share insights on the potential implications of these scenarios on policy and programming in the region.

Upcoming seminar details can be found here: https://energy.wisc.edu/events/seminar-series 

Archives of past seminars can be found here: https://energy.wisc.edu/events/seminar-series-archive 

The YouTube video playlist of past seminars can be found here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5KvDvGhamVophFSGmWflU0PHpAPooO-u