It’s time for LSU to harvest its agribusiness offerings and plant new educational seeds for students to come. At least that’s how a new national study, authored in part by LSU Chancellor Michael Martin, depicts the lay of the land. The report suggests that agriculture colleges need to change with the times and prepare top students for emerging challenges in the field, like energy consumption, national security, nutrition and the impact of climate change.
Academic institutions should also integrate agriculture with other departments and engage farmers and other employers to help produce a flexible, skilled workforce. Martin, for his part, says LSU wants to be on that cutting edge. “There are many challenges facing the agricultural industry, and it’s up to colleges and universities to foster the next generation of professionals who can lead innovation and solve real problems,” Martin says.
The National Research Council assembled the committee of experts at the request of the federal government and private interests. The end result was the “Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World” report. The NRC functions under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and Institute of Medicine.
A brief on the report can be found here and the full document can be ordered here.—Jeremy Alford
