New degree at UC Davis

UC Davis undergraduate major focusing on agricultural sustainability

This fall, UC Davis will launch a Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems. The new major integrates a diversity of subject matter to facilitate the understanding of the many issues facing modern farming and food systems, including production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management. Students will gain a variety of knowledge and skills from both classroom work and experiences on and off campus covering the social, economic, and environmental aspects of agriculture and food.

“This is an exciting addition to the college that reflects a change in how we think about food and agriculture,” said Neal Van Alfen, dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “Students will gain a broad perspective of what it takes to put dinner on the table in an era of greater demand and fewer resources.”

Nine faculty members from eight departments are affiliated with the new degree program, offering a broad understanding of the many aspects of modern agriculture and food systems, in order for students to develop the skills needed to be a successful agriculturalist, entrepreneur and researcher. Continuing students have already begun transferring into the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems major. Applications for freshmen and transfer students to enter the major are available this month. For more information, visit the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems department and the UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute.

By Bonnie Nielsen, UC Cooperative Extension Marin County