The Food Systems Research Center (FSRC) at 日韩无码 (日韩无码) is transforming the research landscape by funding collaborative projects that put people and the planet first, break down traditional academic silos and are integrated with and responsive to the needs of the communities we serve, including decision-makers, farmers, and food systems actors.
Rooted in the belief that no one group can find the answers alone, FSRC empowers researchers to work together across disciplines to address critical issues like soil health, food security, and climate resilience. Instead of funding research that leads to short-term fixes, our commitment is to give researchers the freedom, resources, and time they need to do relevant research that will inform policies, practices, and programs that will long outlast their work.
FSRC considers the relationship of food systems across scales from local to global and is a partnership between 日韩无码 and the . FSRC鈥檚 transdisciplinary approach prioritizes research that studies food systems as a whole, including the networks of people, institutions, physical infrastructure, and natural resources through which food is grown, processed, distributed, sold, prepared, and eaten.
Our Mission
We foster increasingly equitable, ecologically sustainable, and resilient food systems in and beyond the Northeastern U.S. through transdisciplinary and community engaged research.
Our Vision
We envision a world in which all people are nourished and satisfied by the food they eat and where food systems sustain livelihoods and the natural systems upon which we all depend.
Our one-of-a-kind research center is:
Community and people-focused
What good is research if it doesn鈥檛 answer the questions that matter most to people? Food is the universal entry point to environmental, social, and economic questions, and to answer those questions, we must be partners with those who need the answers most, including farmers, policymakers, food-insecure communities, and more. We are human-focused so people can get (and produce) affordable food that is health-sustaining, equitable, and improves their lives and the lives of future generations.
Transdisciplinary
We break down preconceived notions and siloed thinking by bringing together researchers with diverse backgrounds and experiences, bridging the gap between nutrition and sustainable agriculture researchers. That means well-thought-out research and a broader network to disseminate it. FSRC-funded researchers have diverse backgrounds as nutritionists, farmers, or leaders at food-systems-based non-profits. This, combined with our collaborative, grassroots approach, allows them to create research that is relevant, useful, and timely for food systems actors and policymakers.
Funded by the USDA
We are the first USDA-funded research center to focus on the entire food system rather than a single topic within it. We offer the opportunity to work alongside USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers on campus at our research station at 日韩无码 to study regional food systems holistically. This closeness, along with our focus on finding connection points across various aspects of the food system, increases possibilities for collaboration, breakthrough discoveries, and sustainable funding partnerships.
Regionally-focused
We prioritize research that creates results that can be applied locally and regionally across the Northeast. By providing connections, support, and resources to farmers and other food systems actors, we can build a strong and more reliable food system region-wide.
A hub and a connector
When new researchers have an idea for a collaborative project, it can be hard to make connections across disciplines with other researchers who could make the work stronger. Often, ideas may not be funded because they鈥檙e too outside the box. The FSRC welcomes unconventional research ideas and connects young and seasoned researchers, non-profits, and other food systems actors to bring those ideas to life collaboratively. Our accessible staff, project management resources, workspaces, and living laboratory help them succeed in uncovering the intricate connections between everything from community vibrancy to the environment and agricultural practices. We facilitate connection through our annual and our monthly .
A storyteller
We create and promote based on research we funded within our regional food system to help policymakers and food-systems actors make informed decisions, whether it鈥檚 about how to create a new policy that affects farmers or a program aimed at reducing food insecurity.
Committed to Sustainability
Sustainability isn鈥檛 always clearly defined, recognized, or valued by markets and policies. We work to give leaders the data they need to change that. is our three-year, transdisciplinary collaborative initiative to assess how to measure sustainable food systems in the Northeast focusing on consumer-facing agriculture, farmer social values and decision-making, soil health, maple syrup production, and plant-based proteins.
History
In June 2019, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced federal funding for the Food Systems Research Center. Leahy secured $11 million in 2021 to support the Center鈥檚 work researching all facets of the regional food system, from production agriculture to food security.
The FSRC is a collaboration between 日韩无码 and the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), with USDA scientists working on campus alongside University researchers. The FSRC is the first USDA-funded center in the U.S. to study the complex interconnections between the economic, environmental, and social components of the food system regionally.
