Our ultimate goal:

Driving Lasting Impact

LUCI Matters

Across the U.S., how we manage land is changing—and the stakes are high. 

Individuals, farmers and ranchers must produce food under growing pressure and scrutiny.  

Conservationists want to protect native grasslands, biodiversity and water quality. 

Supply chains and businesses face rising demands for traceability and lower emissions. 

Researchers and government want to advance science and inform smart decisions. 

We bring community members together to unravel the complexity and fill in land use change data gaps—so we can protect working lands, ecosystems and supply chains alike. 

Download the LUCI Charter Proclamation. 

Diversity in approach is key to finding new solutions.

LUCI Mission

We build awareness, capacity, alignment, and implementation support to assess and address agricultural and rural Land Use Change and its impacts in the United States.

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LUCI Goals

Convene
We bring together key community members to foster relationships, expand dialogue and move forward as a united community. 

We are an action-oriented, working across disciplines to build understanding, drive alignment and implement solutions. Here’s how we do it: 

LUCI-foster relationships, expand dialogue and move forward as a united community

Align
By harmonizing methodologies and terminology, we enhance accuracy and transparency in land use change assessment, enabling better-informed decisions and actions.

LUCI--work to define shared terms, align methodologies and improve consistency, accuracy and transparency

Build Awareness
We raise visibility of land use change issues and the risks of inaction—while spotlighting creative, collaborative strategies that move us forward. 

LUCI—raise visibility of land use change issues and the risks of inaction—while spotlighting creative, collaborative strategies

Support Implementation
We provide guidance and technical recommendations to help partners adopt shared approaches to land use change measurement and mitigation—including its impacts on greenhouse gases, biodiversity, water resources and rural economies. 

LUCI--guide partners and technical recommendations to help partners adopt shared approaches to land use change

We are about more than defining problems—it’s about equipping people to solve them.

Become a member and help move us forward.

LUCI looks at all aspects of land us and the how we can make positive change towards sustainability

We are guided by a Steering Committee of representatives from each area, supported by advisors and experts.  

We rely on our Task Forces to inform the committees. Current, future and proposed Task Forces include: 

  • Technical   

  • Definitions 

  • Quantification Assessment Framework 

  • Fundraising  

Together, we’re redefining how America understands and manages land use change—for people, profit and the planet. 

LUCI Governance  

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Meet the Team Behind LUCI

Nick Goeser, PHD helps lead LCUI


  • Nicholas Goeser, PhD, helps lead LUCI, and is a long-time agricultural organization leader. He has agricultural strategy development and research experience in the areas of crop production, nutrient cycling and management and environmental quality.  Nick has served as CEO for the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. He has also held the position of Vice President for both the National Corn Growers Association and U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, focusing on agricultural productivity, water quality, soil health, climate change and broader agricultural sustainability.   

    Nick served as the first Director of The Soil Health Partnership. Prior to that, he served as a Technology Development Representative in the corn and soybean seed industry, and Agronomic Research Manager on a commercial farm, bringing over a decade of research and education in the areas of crop production, nutrient cycling and management, and environmental quality.  He completed his MS in agronomy and PhD in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin. His doctoral research focused on the evaluation of crop productivity, nutrient use efficiency and nutrient cycling. 

Katie Howard is an organizer, relationship builder, analyzer and promoter of change

  • Katie Howard is an organizer, relationship builder, analyzer and promoter of change. She has served as Senior Data Analyst for Land O’Lakes/WinField United supporting the AnswerPlot program and also held academic and Extension positions in the field of horticulture and sustainability. Originally from rural northeastern Wisconsin, she received her bachelor’s degree in international agriculture and natural resources, and an MS in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  

    Katie has been consulting in the sustainability field for the last several years. Her passion lies in connecting people and supporting them to reach their goals, whether small or large, simple or complex. 

Jenna Rose is a seasoned communications strategist in the renewable energy and sustainable agriculture sectors


  • Jenna Rose is the founder of Rose Media and a seasoned communications strategist in the renewable energy and sustainable agriculture sectors. She served as Director of Communications for the National Biodiesel Board from 2000 to 2009, where she helped increase consumer awareness of biodiesel from 27% to 86%. She also provided strategic communications support for the Soil Health Partnership, helping promote the value of on-farm conservation practices and connecting farmer-led research to broader sustainability and soil health efforts across U.S. agriculture. 

    A former television journalist, her reporting has appeared on national programs like AgDay, and in publications including Newsweek, Forbes, USA Today, and many daily newspapers including the Des Moines Register. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri – Columbia