Building Sustainable Food Systems
Sustainable agriculture is transforming the way we grow food by balancing productivity with environmental stewardship. The sustainable agriculture minor prepares you to explore farming through hands-on learning, ecological principles and innovative production practices.
What You’ll Study
You’ll study holistic farm management, crop production and adaptive decision-making while exploring the ecological systems that support sustainable agriculture.
What You’ll Take Away
You’ll graduate with the knowledge and practical experience to integrate sustainable practices into agricultural production while supporting healthy ecosystems and resilient food systems.
Dig Deeper
With a minor in sustainable agriculture you’ll explore core courses that provide the foundational knowledge and skills for further learning and application.
Renewable Energy
You’ll explore the transition to hydro, biomass, solar and wind as well as the environmental, economic and political consequences of a renewable energy-based sustainable society.
World Food Systems
You’ll examine the geopolitical dynamics surrounding global food production and the environmental and ethical dimensions of agricultural production and organic alternatives.
Water in a Sustainable Society
You’ll gain an understanding of the core sustainability concepts, practices, barriers and goals related to water resources.
Coursework Highlights
Through hands-on coursework and applied learning experiences, you will develop the technical knowledge and practical skills needed to lead in modern agriculture.
Classes and Labs
You’ll learn how agriculture and climate change affect one another and explore sustainable strategies to reduce impacts and adapt crop production to a changing climate.
You’ll explore the historical, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of sustainable food and fiber systems and learn about frameworks for understanding sustainability in agriculture, with an emphasis on people and communities.
You’ll learn how supply, demand, costs, and other economic factors shape agricultural markets and influence decisions about what to produce and consume.
You’ll explore a comparative study of how Indigenous cultures shape landscapes and allocate the use of natural resources.
You’ll explore how human activities affect the natural environment and examine efforts to balance the demand for natural resources with the health and sustainability of ecosystems.
You’ll explore the physical and biological processes that shape the climate system, the drivers of climate change, and the impacts of these changes on people and the environment.
Explore the Sustainable Agriculture Minor
Check out the course catalogue and learn more about the courses you’ll take and what you’ll learn.