Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems

Contribute to a growing field

Grow your own understanding of how what we farm and what we eat affects people and the planet. Learn the challenges and benefits of producing healthy, sustainable and affordable food.

Why Trent for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems?

• We have an extensive agricultural campus and rooftop gardens
• We offer over forty courses covering issues related to food and/or agriculture
• Research opportunities are available in several disciplines
• Courses are taught by specialists in many programs, including Biology, Environmental Studies, International Development Studies, Anthropology and Geography
• A community of like-minded students running an on-campus organic café with locally-sourced produce
• Opportunities for hands-on experience in the Trent Centre for Community-Based Education

Agriculture is an essential feature of the southern Ontario landscape, and continues to attract the attention of those interested in a viable rural economy and society or in the practice of food production. Food and agriculture have also gained widespread attention, and often controversy. The promise of sustainable agriculture; the environmental, social and ethical consequences of conventional agriculture; investment in industrial crops to supply fuel and materials; ongoing risks to food security and human health; demand for local food production in the context of global food trade; cultural and social critiques of our food system such as the Slow Food movement and advocacy of animal rights; growing interest in urban agriculture and in First Nations agriculture – these and other developments testify to how agriculture and food have become topics of discussion across Ontario and Canada. Internationally, agriculture and food encompass a similarly wide and diverse array of pressing issues.

This societal interest in food and agriculture is also generating jobs for graduates. Agriculture is being increasingly viewed in terms of potential employment opportunities, in, for example, food production for local markets and agri-tourism. The Kawartha region and Prince Edward County are among the regions where these opportunities are emerging. Many of these jobs require a combination of specific knowledge relating to food and agriculture, as well as skills in critical thinking, organization, and communication that a degree in Sustainable Agriculture can provide. Career options include:

• Organic farmer
• Agro-Tourism Operator
• Food-Policy Analyst
• Community-Food Activist
• Land-Use Consultant