Societal Challenges

• Population• Food• Water• Environment• Climate Change• Energy

• Health• Poverty

• Population

Feed, shelter, clothe > 9 billion• Climate change• Land and water constraints• Increasing urbanization• Environmental degradation• Minimal ecological footprint• Changing income and diets• Positive health outcomes

• Diversity of species50,000 edible; 15-50 used

• TraitsYield/productivityYield stabilization: GxExMPest/disease resistanceNitrogen fixationGenomic selection

• Systems/Synthetic Biology• Efficiencies

Feed-to-yield ratioHeat tolerancePhotosynthesis: C3 to C4Cisgenics vs TransgenicsWater-use: Crop per DropNitrogen-, phosphorus-use

• Managing pre- and post-harvest losses

Path Forward: Discoveries

Path Forward: Discoveries• Virtual water and nitrogen

True costs?• Transformative approaches

Perennial/multi croppingConversion of deserts?Algae in oceans?Bio-/nano-technologyModern Meadow, Inc.

o 3-D printingBeyond Meat, Inc.

• Logistics and mechanization

• Pest management• Big data: data.gov/agriculture• Policy research• Research investments• Partnerships

GovernmentsNGOsPrivateAcademic

Path Forward: Farming systems• Improved technologies

Productivity gap: 1.52% Peak farmland – Ausubel et

al. 2013• Cooperatives – Kibbutz?• Closed loop systems• Integrated/diversified• Soil fertility

Nitrogen, Phosphorus• Smart farming

Robotics, sensors, sentinels

• Resilient intensification Policies and consequences

• Vertical farming• Hydroponics• Aquaponics

Fish culture and irrigationARO, Israel: Harpaz 2012

Path ForwardPolicies/Regulation/Marketing

• Governance• Socially beneficial policies, programs • Acceptance of technologies

Behavior, Choices, AttitudesRisk and Change

• Poverty reduction• Education• Trade – “glocalization” • Jobs• Environmental degradation/conservation

Education Pipeline Domains

• Workforce• Scientific cadre• Extension cadre• Producers

Path Forward: Education

Workforce Needs

• Between 2010-2015, 54,400 jobs in agriculture, food, and natural resources

• Approximately 53,500 qualified graduates are available each year 55% have degrees from colleges of

agriculture and life sciences, forestry and natural resources, and veterinary medicine

45% come from allied disciplines including biological sciences, engineering, health sciences, business and communication

Agriculture, Food Systems, Renewable Energy, & Environment

Education, Communication, & Governmental Services

Management & Business

Science & Engineering

47%

27%11%

15%

Source: USDA

Workforce Needs

Demographic changesGlobal competenciesMore international students returning homeForeign born population in US projected to ‐

increase – >40 M in 2010 to >68 M in 2060

Workforce Needs

• Research• Multi- and Trans-disciplinary skills• Application: need workers with skills to

translate/transfer research to the end user

What does this mean as we train new researchers, extension agents, the

workforce, and agricultural producers?

Path Forward: Back To The Future?

1862: An Act donating Public Lands to the several States and Territories which may Provide Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts

“…without excluding other scientific and classical studies and including military tactic, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner as the legislatures of the States may respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education… .”

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=012/llsl012.db&recNum=534

“… science should be based on direct experience with the physical world rather than the words of teachers or textbooks. … recommended teachers guide students’ thinking and … . … one week be set aside for laboratory instruction and one afternoon per week be set aside for out-of-door instruction.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_of_Ten#cite_ref-4

1893: Committee of Ten – National Education Association meeting in Saratoga, NY

"Our nation is at risk...the educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future … .”

Recommendations: … increase graduation requirements in english, mathematics, science, and social studies; two-years foreign language for the college bound; raise expectations and standards admissions; longer school days and years with increased amounts of homework. … improved teacher education, increased teacher pay … . … accountability of civic and school leaders to the citizenry.”

http://datacenter.spps.org/uploads/sotw_a_nation_at_risk_1983.pdf

1983: A Nation at Risk

“… science education should help students to become scientifically literate by integrating the disciplines of science, mathematics, and technology/engineering, focusing on guiding themes and principles that unify the disciplines independently and bring them together as a whole, and explicitly teaching the nature of science.”

http://www.project2061.org/publications/sfaa/default.htm

1990: Science for All Americans: Project 2061  AAAS lays out a goal for what science education should look like by the return of Halley's comet in 2061.

2006: Cognitive and Noncognitive Abilities

James Heckman, Jora Stixrud, Sergio Urzua “… cognitive and noncognitive abilities determine social and economic success. … . … noncognitive skills … explain why early childhood programs, like Headstart and the Perry Preschool program, are effective. … they do not boost IQ but raise noncognitive skills and therefore promote success in social and economic life.”

http://www.nber.org/papers/w12006.pdf?new_window=1

www.21stcenturyskills.org/documents/FINAL_REPORT_PDF9-29-06.pdf

Adapted from: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/documents/FINAL_REPORT_PDF9-29-06.pdf

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Percent Employers Rating Skill as "Very Important”

Communications Decision making Self management Teamwork Professionalism Experiences Leadership

“Comparative Analysis of Soft Skills: What is Important for New Graduates? Perceptions of Employers, Alum, Faculty and Students,” APLU, 2011

Noncognitive skills aka Soft skills

2007: America COMPETES Act "To invest in innovation through research and development, and to improve the competitiveness of the United States.

“… Act’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education agenda. … enhancement of research capabilities and coordination and importance of undergraduate research experiences … .”

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/110/hr2272/text

“If institutions … do not address changes needed, their colleges … of agriculture may … become irrelevant. Their graduates will have difficulty in keeping up with changing needs of society and in securing stable careers. … nation will miss its opportunity for leadership in addressing the global challenges related to food and agriculture.”

2009: Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World – National Academy of Sciences

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12602#toc

The Morrill/LG Act

• Foundational knowledge in humanities and sciences

• Practical education in agriculture and mechanical arts

• Military leadership

Cognitive Skills

Noncognitive Skills

Coalition for a Sustainable Agricultural Workforce

• Start younger• Get hands-on experience• Attract the best and the brightest• Companies expect to hire >1,000 scientist-level

FTEs in next two years (13% of current scientific workforce)

• 84 percent of total needed in Plant Sciences, Breeding/Genetics, and Protection

LGUs and 21st Century Workforce

Revised curricula focus on 9 billion chal-lenge

Online courses

Leadership courses

Require/encourage experiential learning

Require/encourage study abroad

Food/ag literacy as general education

2

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15

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LGU Survey Results

Curricular Innovations to Address Nine Billion Question

• University of Nebraska

Integrating food, energy, water, landscapes and people in undergraduate curriculum

B.S. in Integrated Sciences for students with academic and professional goals that require trans-disciplinary study

Dean's Scholars in Experiential Leadership Program AGRI 103 – first-year required course revised to focus on “big

questions” for the future of agriculture in the context of natural resource use and long-term global needs and sustainability

• University of Florida Offer year-long leadership institute, leadership minor, and certificate

program in Food Security Leadership• North Carolina State University

Course: “World Population and Food Prospects”• UC Davis

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems major • Iowa State University

New major “Global Resource Systems”• Virginia Tech

More hands on experiences; new courses; minor in international agricultural and life sciences

• University of Minnesota MOOC - Sustainability of Food Systems: A Global Life-Cycle Perspective

Innovations in EducationStart at a younger age

• Use the LG model in high schools• Enhanced partnerships between high schools

and colleges/universities• Resurrect AITC/Home Economics curricula

Innovations in EducationHands-on Experience

• Science fairs with an agriculture component• Internships for undergrads and high school

students• National competition for developing value-

added products

Innovations in EducationAttract Best & Brightest: Constraints/Opportunities

• Cost of education/For profits• Ag’s image problem

“Useless Degrees”• http://education.yahoo.net/articles/most_useless_degrees.htm

Earnings potential/job placement• 4-H and other informal education systems• Role of community colleges

2+2 articulationNeed to build Ag curriculum at this levelGateway for minority and rural populations

• Master agreements• Co-funding• Experiential education

Internships, externships• Mentoring

HS, UG, G, Postdoc• Leadership opportunities• Guest lectures

Innovations in EducationPublic-Private Partnerships

Education Pipeline Domains

• Workforce • Scientific cadre• Extension cadre• Producers

Experiential Education

Back to the Future?Morrill/LG Act

Path Forward