…a compelling 21st Century challenge that requires transformational solutions

All humanity depends on food security. Needed are resilient food systems to assure the health and well being of a growing world population in the face of unprecedented environmental change and constraints. Three critical dimensions of this challenge are: 1) Production: food system technologies and enterprises must function within agroecological capacities and limits; 2) Distribution: economic gain and social justice must be balanced to assure good food for all; and 3) Adaptability: the physical design and social organization of food systems must be locally adapted, globally interconnected, and grounded equally in culture, technology and science. …

The transformational plan is to repurpose the OSU campuses into a living example of new food agri/cultures that promote health, with students engaged in all phases of this transformation and in all phases of their academic and personal lives. We have also proposed a set of 30 new faculty hires to support this academic, ecological and cultural transformation by creating linkages among our many disciplinary and interdisciplinary strengths. To read more, and see the list of 30 positions supported by OSU Discovery Themes funding…