September 3, 2021
Food for Thought - Director's Perspective
It’s Time to Support the Long-Term Sustainability of Small-Scale Farms
I’m passionate about creating a hunger-free world through sustainable food production – in fact, this is a key reason the IFSL faculty and leadership team developed the program. We know the global food system is facing the immense task of feeding nearly 10 billion people by 2050 without compromising future productivity or the health of our planet. Our overarching goal is to ensure future food system leaders are prepared to meet the complexity of that challenge.
Our food system is complex and I believe every production system – large and small, local and global, conventional and organic – plays an important role in feeding the world. Over the past few weeks, I’ve read several articles about the crisis facing small-scale farmers in California, and the difficult decisions they are making in order to save their farms. Here are just a few examples:
- Climate Change in California is Threatening the World’s Top Almond Producer – A deepening drought and intensifying heat waves are taking a toll on the state’s $6 billion almond industry, which provides roughly 80% of the world’s almonds. Growers are abandoning their orchards as water becomes scarce and expensive.
- Photographer Chronicles Lake Oroville’s Demise – California’s second-largest reservoir, a water source for nearly 100,000 people, is at its lowest level since 1977. Without access to a sufficient water supply, farmers are knocking down their trees and culling their herds.
- As Their Wells Dry Up, California’s Small Farms Seek Emergency Relief – There are 76,000 farms in California, many of which are small. Without support, they may not be able to continue growing for the local food system.
Although these articles profile California, similar tough decisions are occurring across the nation and world with increasing frequency. It’s more apparent now than ever that we need both short-term and long-term solutions to ensure the ongoing survival of small-scale farmers. Society benefits from prosperous and productive small farms and they play an integral role in food production by making agriculture more sustainable and efficient. As part of a holistic approach to educating future food system leaders, the IFSL program curriculum is set up to educate future food system leaders about these challenges and prepare them to drive toward solutions that support more sustainable, economical, climate-resilient agriculture.
The University of Minnesota Integrated Food Systems Leadership (IFSL) Program is designed for professionals interested in accelerating their careers. The IFSL program is a unique, online, graduate certificate program that fosters leadership, collaboration, and innovation across the food system. IFSL is a Post-Baccalaureate Regents Certificate program aimed at bridging the gap between traditional food system education and a professional leadership program.