Educating Tomorrow's Agents of Change for Sustainable Food Systems: Nordic Agroecology MSc Program

Abstract

Two key issues in the development of sustainable food systems on a global basis are education in how research will be done and informing a general public to become more aware of the food, nutrition, and hunger issues facing society. Knowing that food production, national and local food security, and equity in access to adequate nutrition are important is only the first step. Educating today's students to become motivated researchers, effective communicators, and agents of change in future systems is a larger challenge. one example of current educational initiatives that are addressing the production, economic, environmental, and social dimensions of farming and food systems in the region. Using an action learning and whole systems approach, we have built on our prior experience of intensive courses to develop one 8-week module focused on farming systems and a second 8-week module on food systems. In each case, an experiential learning strategy is used, with students spending time on farms and in communities, talking with key players who have different roles in the system. After two additional semesters of courses in specific areas of interest, each student completes a thesis project dealing with some aspect of agroecology and sustainability of food systems. Twelve examples are included here to illustrate the range of topics of recent MSc thesis research. Quotes from students who have completed the program are provided as testimonies to success. We conclude that integrating teaching and research has been highly effective in preparing agroecologists to deal with the complexity and uncertainty in dealing with food systems and nutrition in the future.

Training and capacity building of young water professionals—role of an innovative and transformative program for sustainable water futures

“…The training of water professionals has mainly been dominated by the old paradigms of engineering‐based interventions to water issues and challenges. Training YWPs to become motivated problem solvers, critical thinkers, effective communicators, and agents of change for a sustainable water future is a more significant challenge (Dehnavi & Al‐Saidi, 2020; Lieblein et al, 2008). The critical enablers for future water sustainability are the YWPs who have technical (knowing what and how to do), leadership (knowing how to work together and lead), and transdisciplinary (knowing different aspects of the issue) competencies while keeping the people who will benefit and their environment in focus.…”

Training young water professionals in leadership and transdisciplinary competencies for sustainable water management in India

“…The training of water professionals in the past has mainly been dominated by the old paradigms of engineering‐based interventions to water issues and challenges. However, to tackle the complex water problems of the 21st century, YWPs need to be problem solvers, critical thinkers, effective communicators, and agents of change and consider multiple objectives, such as social, environmental, and economic objectives (Dehnavi & Al‐Saidi, 2020; Lieblein et al, 2008; Nienaber & Jacobs, 2010; Maheshwari et al, 2014; Goedecke, 2015: Arora et al, 2015). One of the major benefits of the transdisciplinary approach is that it provides a platform for innovation and new concepts for transformation and change.…”

Development and Evaluation of an Introductory Course in Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems

“…In the United States and internationally, several universities offer multidiscipline, systems-oriented and experiential learning-based sustainable agriculture curricula (Borsari & Vidrine, 2005;Clark, Byker, Niewolny, & Helms, 2013;Delate, 2006;Furgeson, Lamb, & Swisher, 2006;Jacobsen et al, 2012;Keating, Bhavsar, Strobel, Grabau, Mullen, & Williams, 2010;Lieblein, Brelan, Salomonsson, Sriskandarajah, & Francis, 2008;Parr, Trexler, Khanna, & Battisti, 2007;Parr &Van Horn, 2006). According to Francis et al (2003), there is both an opportunity and a responsibility to evaluate food systems in novel ways, balance the system with existing resources, and acknowledge the moral obligation to manage system outputs equitably.…”