Sustainable Food and Farming

THE CONCEPT: A generally accepted model for sustainability presents this concept as a quest toward three interrelated objectives.  These are:

· environmental quality,

· economic vitality, and

· social equity.

SUSTAINABILITY MODEL

We believe students may begin thinking about sustainability from any of these perspectives and integrate them into the Sustainable Food and Farming concentration.  For example, students interested in sustainable farming often start from an environmental (or biophysical perspective).  Students interested in business may begin from an economic perspective.  Students interested in people may approach this area of study from a social perspective.  All three are important.

However, while balancing multiple perspectives is useful, this alone will not result in a deep understanding of sustainability.   According to an April 2001 article in Science, the science and education community has not made an adequate contribution to global sustainable development.  The authors of this article call for a new area of study that is different in “structure, methods and content” from the programs of the past.  Specifically the new sustainability curriculum will need to approach problems from a holistic or integrative perspective. The view of sustainability at the center of the model includes and integrates all the other views, providing meaning and spirit to the work and is fundamental to understanding of sustainable systems.  This integrative or holistic perspective requires intentional learning that should be included in each student’s concentration proposal.

We believe this approach is at the leading edge of an educational and work movement that is emerging across the nation.  Paul Hawken wrote in the January/February 2000 issue of Sierra Club Magazine:

“There are in the United States today at least 30,000 nongovernmental organizations dealing with sustainability in the broad sense of the word.  In the world, there are approximately 100,000 such groups.  The sustainability movement does not agree on everything, nor should it ever.  But, remarkably, it shares a basic set of fundamental understandings about the earth and how it functions, and about the necessity of fairness and equity for all people in partaking of the earth’s lifegiving systems. This shared understanding is arising spontaneously, from different economic sectors, cultures, regions, and cohorts.” 

SUSTAINABILITY PEDAGOGY: We believe that learning “about” sustainability is not enough.  A critical aspect of transformative education for sustainability is the ability to integrate theory and practice in real world situations.  Students are encouraged to develop their own proposals for how to acquire experiential education.  The range of experiential opportunities is broad, from Community Service Learning in nearby communities, to internships on farms, to semester abroad experiences such as that offered through Living Routes.  Regardless of the venue, we believe the particular experience chosen should help students integrate the concepts of economic vitality, environmental integrity, and social equity in a real-world business, family, or community setting.  We recommend students explore opportunities for internships, practica or independent studies that support their learning.  

SUSTAINABILITY WORK: Educated citizens of the 21^st century need to understand the effect of decisions made by individuals, organizations, and communities on long-term global sustainability.  Of particular concern to educated adults are the impacts of climate, environment, pollution, war, culture, class, and security on these complex food and agricultural systems.  Work toward a sustainable future is found in many areas.  Among those available today are:

Policy and Advocacy – this includes work for non-profit advocacy and educational organizations, government agencies, university research centers, and personal citizen involvement in political and community change efforts.

Education and Community Engagement – this includes youth education, citizen education, non-profit educational organizations, media work, and formal teaching, as well as work directly with people and groups in community.  Examples are classroom teaching, distance learning, experiential education, community gardens, anti-hunger coalitions, environmental protection efforts etc.

Agricultural Ecosystem Management – this includes knowledge of sustainable and organic plant and animal production systems, as well as natural resource management.  The primary job opportunity in this area is sustainable farm management.

For a list of jobs and internships relating to sustainability, see these links:

Sustainability Jobs (mostly food and land related)

Sustainability Internships (mostly farm and land related)