Our food systems are under pressure to deliver healthy, affordable, and ethical options that also protect the environment. To meet these challenges, especially in the face of climate change and other disruptions, experts from many fields—from soil science to nutrition—are coming together to find solutions that benefit both people and the planet.
This September 16 and 17, ̽̽'s (FSRC) hosted its second , convening over 200 participants, including food systems researchers, industry professionals, and representatives from non-profit and community-based organizations. Attendees hailed from across the Northeast and the U.S.
FSRC Director emphasized that the Summit is a result of ̽̽’s long-term commitment to food systems research. “̽̽ has been a leader in food systems research for decades. Now, it plays an important role in bringing people together across disciplines to wrestle with big ideas."
The Summit opened with a plenary talk by , the Nancy Schlegel Meining Associate Professor of Maternal and Child Nutrition at Cornell University. She emphasized the significance of lived experiences in advancing food justice within communities of color, challenging attendees to consider how we can "co-create power" rather than simply empower others.
Dr. Odoms-Young also highlighted the importance of collaboration: “It’s important that we bring multiple skill sets together because problems aren't just one-sided. They are complex. We [researchers also] need to partner with those experiencing these issues.”
Community-engaged research was a central theme throughout the plenary sessions, breakout discussions, and graduate poster presentations, including a session on developing a community-informed research agenda for the FSRC.
One of the aims of the Summit is to cultivate a strong community of researchers committed to team-based and stakeholder-engaged science.
FSRC postdoctoral fellow said, “I’m new to Vermont and new to research with farmers so it’s been really interesting to hear about other people’s research with farmers and how that might apply to my own experience.” Various breakout sessions focused on topics including the role of crop breeders, planning food system futures, agroecology, and labor across the food chain.
The FSRC is a partnership between ̽̽ and the . The FSRC funds people-centered collaborative research that connects disciplines and communities to answer complex food systems questions.
, a researcher at the USDA Caribbean Climate Hub, spoke about how this event was important for new career researchers. “Spaces like this are meaningful in creating connections and collaborations and for sparking interest and curiosity.”
A highlight of the summit was the graduate student poster presentations featuring 17 presenters from five institutions. Their research ranged from studying the effects of COVID-19 on the to , and even . į&Բ;
, professor at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at the Ohio State University, gave a plenary talk reflecting on regional food governance from a national community of practice. Of the Summit, she said, "Where else can you learn from agroecologists, get inspired by nutrionists, and commune with people coming from all different places that know the answer to food systems exists between us? This is the place."
The Summit concluded with a dinner gathering at the in Burlington, where participants learned about the devastating floods that had affected the area over the past two summers. During a tour of the and , the resilience of local agriculture was evident. It’s clear that food systems research will play a crucial role in addressing future challenges in the road head.
