9 minute read
First Steps
AGRICULTURE OF THE FUTURE: NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR HBCUs
the prospects of any science.”
Agriculture is evolving at a rapid pace. While it was only in the mid-1940s that tractor power overtook horsepower on American farms, it’s not uncommon to find drones, robots, and satellites on today’s farms. All of this equipment helps farms grow in a more precise way that limits waste and increases productivity. Food isn’t just “grown” anymore—it’s engineered. As Dr. Mohamed Ahnedna, dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (N.C. A&T) State University, says, “Agriculture is not like it was in the old days, with a mule and somebody in a field. It’s high-technology with all the prospects of any science. Gene editing, engineering, and data science are all converging into the space of agriculture.” These innovations come at a pivotal moment in modern history, with food scarcity, climate change, and urban migration all speedily increasing. According to Ahnedna and other experts, HBCUs should see the growing presence of these issues as a call to action. By putting resources toward helping farmers and training the next generation of agricultural scientists and engineers, universities can have a strong impact on the farming industry. “The opportunities are bright for HBCUs,” Ahnedna says. “There is a chance for us to really engage and benefit from the new frontier with an agriculture that’s smart, localized, direct to consumer, and responsive to the needs of populations.” His own university is one of the schools responding to that call. In partnership with seven other 1890 Land Grant universities, NC A&T is currently planning a program intended to get minority students interested in agriculture. “There’s a huge gap in the workforce in this area, and engaging
minorities is one way to fill that gap,” he says. “[The program] is designed to recruit, retain, mentor, and graduate students in this area to make sure we’re feeding a pipeline into this field.” His agriculture department also collaborates with farms across North Carolina, giving students the opportunity to implement new technologies, and resuscitating many of the farms’ performance. “By feeding into their resilience, we’re actually making our agriculture community stronger,” he says. Other schools have similar programs in place. The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Department of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences has implemented a professional development program for Black farmers. A partnership with the National Black Farmers Association, the 2020 Cooperative Farmers program is designed to help small farmers access funding and growth opportunities. “We’ll work very closely with them on business development, looking at value-added products for profitability and sustainability in terms of their businesses,” says Associate Dean William Hare. “We’ll also support them in writing grants so that they can access USDA funds … and get them into a strong system where, collectively, they’ll be able to advocate for more support from the USDA.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. UDC maintains several urban food hubs, where food is produced for distribution to the local community. The university writes on its website, “Our urban food hubs are designed not only to provide access to fresh food, but also to create jobs, improve public health, mitigate water management programs, and create urban resilience.” These food hubs are also educational centers, offering courses and volunteer opportunities for those who want to learn how to farm. According to Michael Whyte, project coordinator at UDC’s Bertie Backus Food Hub, training city residents in farming is one way to combat the growing problem of fresh food scarcity in urban areas. “Our educational training helps to get people engaged within the community so they can produce food themselves locally,” he says. “Through the strategic placement of food hubs around urban areas, we can provide a hands-on platform for residents in food desert communities.”
However HBCUs choose to participate in the 21st century agricultural revolution, one thing is for certain: Food-related problems aren’t going away without scientists and engineers finding innovative solutions. But experts have confidence in the next generation to solve these problems. As Leslie Glover, a program manager in the USDA’s newly formed Office of Agriculture and Innovation, says, “Necessity is the mother of invention. At some point, as we start to see food become scarce in more places, it’s going to force us to get even more innovative and to get people involved in the [food production] process.” S
Clockwise from left: Dwane Jones, Dean, University of District of Columbia, William Hare, Associate Dean, University of District of Columbia, Michael Whyte, Project Coordinator, University of District of Columbia, Leslie Glover, National Resources Conversation Officer, Department of Agriculture Check out the full panel discussion here: https://l.ead.me/bd9FVl
The CLIMATECRISIS SolutionsAND
Clean energy technologies of the future
by Ada Romano
These days, you hear the term “climate change” being thrown around constantly, whether it’s in a political setting or just a casual conversation with friends or colleagues. The truth is the climate crisis has no easy solution; it takes effort and comprehension from everyone who calls Earth home to put plans into place that would halt this destructive phenomenon.
In order to find solutions to climate change, it’s important to understand what is causing it. In short, human activity is causing climate change. The burning of fossil fuels is increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere, warming the planet. These gases prevent heat from escaping the atmosphere, causing the global warming we have seen in the past couple of decades.
These changes have worrying implications such as major storms that can be destructive to property, polluting the water supply, and excessive heat that can also be deadly to animals, humans, and crops. According to NASA, long-lived gases that remain semi-permanently in the atmosphere and do not respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature are described as “forcing” climate change. Gases, such as water vapor, which respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature are seen as “feedbacks.”
“On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse,” NASA says on its website. “Over the last century, the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2.”
The clearing of land for activities such as agriculture releases toxic gases like methane into the atmosphere. Animal agriculture is one of the major causes of this phenomenon. One pound of beef takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce, eggs take 477 gallons of water to produce, and cheese takes nearly 900 gallons of water to produce. Animal agriculture produces 65 percent of the world’s nitrous oxide emissions, which has a global warming impact 296 times greater than carbon dioxide. Raising livestock for human consumption generates nearly 15 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, which is greater than all the transportation emissions combined.
Agricultural waste creates agricultural pollution. It releases unwanted materials that are produced in the growing of crops or raising of livestock into our environment. When it comes to farming, this contamination of the environment due to agricultural pollution is concerning, but there are methods to sustainable farming. One solution would be to adapt to a plant-based diet. If you are unable to eat plant-based, another solution would be to cut back on the animal products you are consuming. Brands like Follow Your Heart and Daiya are making it easy to follow a plant-based diet with their non-dairy substitutes such as almond milk and dairy-free cheese. These companies have missions that they outline in order to bring people closer to a plant-based diet. “At Follow Your Heart, our mission is to produce high-quality plant-based foods to enhance the lives of consumers and contribute to the betterment of the Earth and all its inhabitants. We strive to be innovative and create an enjoyable workplace where everyone can experience personal growth and emotional fulfillment,” Follow Your Heart states on its website. “We know the decisions we make in operating a business impact not only our taste buds, our health, and our wallets, but also our communities and the world. We want to demonstrate leadership as we continue to expand our range of products and look for new ways to innovate in quality and sustainability.” Activism is another way people are
getting involved in saving the planet. Greta Thunberg is a young Swedish activist who is using her voice to speak out on solutions to slow down climate change. She became well-known after she protested outside the Swedish parliament in 2018 when she was just 15 years old. She went on strike to pressure the government to meet carbon emissions targets. Today, Thunberg continues to inspire young people around the world to make a change in their daily lives and find a solution to the climate change crisis. In December 2018, more than 20,000 students skipped school to protest climate change. A year later, she received the first of three Nobel Peace Prize nominations for her climate activism.
A year later, Thunberg attended a UN climate conference in New York where she told world leaders that they were not doing enough to slow down climate change. “You all come to us young people for hope. How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she said. Thunberg has received both praise and criticism for her passionate activism. Broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough told her she has achieved things many others have failed to do. “You have aroused the world. I’m very grateful to you,” he said. Former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have both been critical of Thunberg’s efforts. Putin described her as a “kind but poorly informed teenager.” Thunberg suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, a developmental disorder, but has described her disorder as a “gift.” Her mother, Malena Ernman, is an opera singer and former Eurovision Song Contest participant, and her father, Svante Thunberg, is an actor and a
descendant of the scientist who created a model of the greenhouse effect. Governments around the world are passing bills that would also help the climate crisis. Congress pass¬ed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) as a way to tackle deteriorating infrastructure as well as provide clean drinking water and advance environmental justice, according to the White House website.
“The legislation will help ease inflationary pressures and strengthen supply chains by making long-overdue improvements for our nation’s ports, airports, rail, and roads,” the White House states on its website. “It will drive the creation of good-paying union jobs and grow the economy sustainably and equitably so that everyone gets ahead for decades to come. Combined with the President’s Build Back Framework, it will add on average 1.5 million jobs per year for the next 10 years.”
