Agroecology

https://www.uvm.edu/instituteforagroecology/graduate-and-professional-learning

Overview

The mission of the Department of Agriculture, Landscape, and Environment is to expand, integrate, and extend the knowledge of agricultural systems and environmental quality in plant/soil ecosystems affecting the people of Vermont, the region, and the world. The department will provide excellence in education, research, and extension that will foster environmentally, economically, and socially sound practices.

Agroecology is a way of understanding and designing food systems using social, ecological, and political principles. It is rooted in indigenous practices and ancestral wisdom and builds on the experiences of food producers and social movement actors, and scientific research to address the current food crisis. Agroecology goes beyond farming practices to work toward transforming policy, science, cultures, and economies with a commitment to thriving ecosystems and just food systems.  

The graduate certificate program focuses on equipping students with the knowledge and competencies to transform food systems and society through agroecology. Rooted in theory from popular education and Participatory Action Research (PAR), these programs examine potential pathways, through agroecology, towards the transformation of food systems by integrating political, economic, social, and ecological perspectives.  

Certificate courses use interactive and creative approaches to teaching that generate dynamic learning communities amongst diverse cohorts of students, who are often participating from different geographies around the world. Through case studies, exploring the latest theoretical approaches, hearing from leading agroecologists, and opportunities to apply learning both individually and collectively, the program aims to inspire, inform, and prepare students to become agents of change for a more just and sustainable food system.

More information on the Certificate is available from the UVM Institute for Agroecology website.

Degrees

Agroecology CGS

Agroecology mCGS

Agroecology M.S.