This month, five ̽̽ research teams convened to embark on a collaborative, long-term project focused on studying sustainability metrics within food systems. These teams were recipients of Sustainability Metrics Planning grants, a three-year initiative totaling $3 million aimed at assessing the measurement of sustainable food systems in the Northeast. This project marks the beginning of a multi-decade investment in research by the USDA.
The ̽̽ Food Systems Research Center has provided funding for these projects as part of their partnership with the (ARS). FSRC Director Polly Ericksen stated, “No single discipline can work on all aspects of food systems by themselves. Looking at food systems as a complex interconnected entities helps people to find more solutions, but also requires that they work across disciplinary boundaries.”
The teams convened under the guidance of facilitator Mark Amaral to discuss the project's structure and how they would collect, analyze, and manage data. These teams consist of researchers from six departments across the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Extension, and the Rubenstein School for the Environment and Natural Resources, as well as scientists from USDA-ARS. Dr. Ericksen commented, "Working across these disciplines takes more time. You have to provide incentives to encourage collaboration and facilitate communication. We need to illustrate how coming together and collaborating can be an enriching experience."
These projects will define sustainability metrics in five key areas: consumer-facing agriculture, farmer social values and decision-making, soil health, maple syrup production, and plant-based proteins. They were developed based on white papers that asked researchers to propose what should be measured to determine sustainability in small and medium-sized farms. Meredith Niles, Associate Director of the FSRC, noted, "When you leave the table open, you get a lot of interesting ideas, but figuring out how they all fit together is complicated."
The FSRC holds the distinction of being the first USDA-funded research center dedicated to studying the interconnectedness of all components of a regional food system. This unique partnership provides funding for long-term research goals, such as the pursuit of sustainability metrics. “As academics, we are used to the traditional grant cycle of three or five years. This long-term investment from the USDA allows us to think about a decades-long research project, that we get to be at the table from the start,” Niles said. “We know that this program and this goal is not necessarily going away. It’s an opportunity to think longer term.”’
̽̽ researchers expressed excitement at the possibilities that this long-term project offers. David Conner, Professor in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, serves as the Principal Investigator for the study of sustainability metrics in consumer-facing farms. He pointed out that the project's longevity enables researchers to challenge academic norms and biases.
“As academics, we want to oversimplify and reduce. We privilege explicit knowledge at the expense of tacit and indigenous knowledge and co-created knowledge. We privilege reliability over validity at times,” Conner said. “I think this really gives us a chance to do a deep dive.”
About Us:
The ̽̽ Food Systems Research Center (FSRC) uncovers solutions to pressing issues through the lens of food and farming. As pioneers in USDA-funded research, we’re at the forefront of discovering how what’s on our plate affects our society and the planet. Visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.
Courtney Hammond Wagner (USDA-ARS) and Gillian Galford (̽̽) converse at the September Sustainability Metrics Planning grant meeting.