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Charles Shapiro is an emeritus professor of agronomy and horticulture and extension soil scientist for the univeristy. He served on a committee that transformed a volunteer only, Nebraska Organic Agriculture Association to a grant- and membership-funded Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society (NSAS). He co-led a Kellogg Sustainable Agriculture grant to strengthen collaboration among UNL and alternative agricultural groups. He has been a scientific advisor since the 1990s to the Center for Rural Affairs, a nationally recognized organization that promotes profitability for smaller farming operations, advising on climate change and other rural issue policies. He has also served National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) on several review panels for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative program.He was project coordinator for the Nebraska Organic Research Program that at its most active point had four certified organic fields on University of Nebraska property across Nebraska. He currently serves on the Nebraska Soil Health Task Force convened by the legislature in 2019.