The purpose of this 2-quarter lecture series is to explore the concept of sustainability as it relates to agriculture, the environment, communities, and society at large. A group of leading social, ecological, and biological scientists has been invited to address key issues and topics relevant to agricultural sustainability in California. Presentations will offer research findings and ideas that will help define the problems and challenges of sustainability more clearly, and also chart possible new directions for education, research and policy.

The series will begin with presentations on global food access and poverty alleviation efforts as well as the role of the intensification of production in addressing world hunger. Other lectures will help set the stage by looking into the role of globalization and its impacts on food production and how specific policy tools such as the Common Agriculture Policy, US Farm Bill, and the World Trade Organization impact sustainability of the food supply at a national or regional level. Additional topics in the series include the development and use of sustainability indicators at the whole food system level as well as in farming systems studies that have developed specific soil and plant-based indices. The interaction of agriculture and natural resources such as water, soil, and biodiversity will be discussed as well as key inputs like energy. The dynamic of global climate change and how it will affect, and is affected by, practices in the food and agricultural system will also be addressed. Finally several talks will be presented on the social impacts of agricultural systems, what role consumers play in the food system, and the education and outreach efforts needed to increase the adoption of sustainable farming and food systems.

This lecture series will significantly contribute to recent discussions at UC Davis surrounding sustainable agriculture and facilitate dialogue throughout the campus and with the broader agricultural community.

All lectures are scheduled for Fridays from 12:10 to 1 p.m. in room 3001 of
the new Plant and Environmental Sciences Building at UC Davis.

Members of the CAES Subcommittee on Sustainable Agriculture speaker series

• Janet C. Broome, Associate Director, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (Chair)
• Chris van Kessel, Chair and Professor, UC Davis Agronomy & Range Science
• William Horwath, Associate Professor, UC Davis Land, Air & Water Resources
• Leisa Huyck, Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems/IA Conservation Tillage project
• Karen Klonsky, Extension Specialist, UC Davis Agricultural & Resource Economics
• Wolfgang Pitroff, Assistant Professor, UC Davis Animal Science
• Kate Scow, Professor, UC Davis Land, Air & Water Resources, Director Kearney Foundation of Soil Science