Salad will survive climate change. But at what cost?
News Source: Grist
June 16, 2021
“Even as fewer people in the world go hungry, nutrient deficiencies remain high.” – Dr. Navin Ramankutty
Dr. Navin Ramankutty, a professor at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, commented on the importance of finding a balance between nutritive value and widespread access. He mentioned that even as fewer people in the world go hungry, nutrient deficiencies remain high and the best remedy is to feed people more fresh fruits and vegetables.
“This is like a drug discovery process. We collect phages, bring them into the lab and run trials on animals, crops and food products to test how effective they are.” – Dr. Siyun Wang
Dr. Siyun Wang, CSFS Associate and Professor of Food Safety, is investigating the applications of bacteriophages in UBC’s Food Safety Laboratory. Screening assays and genome sequencing are some of the laboratory techniques employed to study the behavior of each phage. One goal of this research is to determine how they work together as an effective ‘cocktail’ for eliminating food-borne pathogens.
“Formed in 2011, CSFS’s main research and learning space is the UBC Farm, which began as a student-led initiative that is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The UBC Farm and
the CSFS have both grown over the decades, with the UBC Farm deemed ‘green academic’ by the university, establishing it as a place of experiential learning for students, researchers, and the neighbouring community.” – Cindy Cheung
Planning West features the CSFS and UBC Farm as we celebrate our anniversary! More info can be found on page 5 of the below link.
The CSFS Future of Food Global Dialogue Series presents:
CSFS Associate Seminars
Regulated Deficit Irrigation Strategies for Saving Irrigation Water in Vineyards
About this Seminar
Water management in vineyards is arguably one of the major issues that the wine industry is facing. Climate change is forecasted to make precipitations more erratic and to increase temperatures in many wine regions, making drought events more frequent in vineyards. Growers can apply regulated deficit irrigation strategies, consisting on providing sub-optimal irrigation levels to the vines, to save irrigation water and improve wine quality. Indeed, water deficit induces the accumulation of grape pigments and aromas, improving the quality of the derived wines. The development of deficit irrigation strategies may result in improved wine quality and more sustainable wine productions in British Columbia and worldwide.
About the Presenter
Dr. Castellarin investigates the ripening processes in grapes and blueberries and the biological mechanisms that determine grape and blueberry quality. Moreover, he studies how berry quality is affected by environmental factors (temperature and water). Dr. Castellarin is developing agronomical strategies (irrigation, crop management, hormone applications) to improve ripening and the accumulation of pigments and aromas in grapes and blueberries.
Beneficial microbes protect plants from pathogen attacks
News Source: UBC Microbiology
May 10, 2021
“Plants are a much more tractable system. We can make genetic and mechanistic advances very quickly and affordably compared to mice, which are more cost and labour intensive. We hope that this work will inform how animals, including humans, recruit beneficial microbes when we sense a pathogen. When it comes to the interface of immunity, the microbiome, and pathogens, we hope plants can be a model for many organisms.” – Dr. Cara Haney
Dr. Cara Haney, CSFS associate and professor in UBC’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, conducted research on how plants can recruit beneficial bacteria (i.e. their microbiome) to protect against pathogens. This is part of a phenomenon known as “disease suppressive soils”, and is a promising agricultural method to prevent pathogen damage to plants.
“It is an important question to examine — more than 80% of the world’s farmers are smallholders and they constitute a large portion of the world’s poor and vulnerable populations.” – Dr. Navin Ramankutty
Dr. Navin Ramankutty, CSFS Associate and Canada Research Chair in Global Environmental Change and Food Security, blogged about his paper on the environmental and social outcomes of small farms. From the study conducted, it is shown that smaller farms have both higher yields and biodiversity.
Work Learn Profile: Ally Cheng, UBC Farm Ambassador
What did you work on in this role?
Pre-covid, this position focused on leading Farm tours and introducing UBC Farm to the public. I entered this position after covid, and I worked closely with the Farm’s communications team, doing postings on social media and side projects like taking part in the USI Council as the Farm’s representative and fostering sustainability conversations within CSFS.
What did you learn in this position?
I am so grateful for this position and I have learned so much! This was my first time working in a professional setting and I have definitely acquired a lot of technical skills like writing professionally, communicating with different stakeholders, etc. Before this position, I had little knowledge about UBC Farm and sustainability work in UBC. it is great to dig into all the amazing work that UBC Farm is doing and all the sustainability efforts that have been made!
Why does this work matter?
The UBC Farm is doing so much (with research, student programs, children camps, etc), and social media is the perfect and most out-reachable way to let people know and see what has the farm been doing.
What would you tell a new student taking on this role? Or what do you wish you had known?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! The CSFS staff team is such an amazing community that offers loads of supports! It might be overwhelming with all the new information when you are just starting and transitioning into your role, but there is always support and people you can go to:).
What should people know about the UBC Farm that they probably don’t know?
Even in covid times, there is so much research happening on the farm!
What’s your favourite thing to do at the UBC Farm?
Definitely going to the farmers market, just hanging out with the plants and chickens:p.
What other roles have you held at CSFS at the UBC Farm?
I was able to work on a wide variety of communication projects, ranging from webinars and social media to research briefs. I helped the BC Food Web advance its mission to make the incredible research the CSFS and its partners around the province are producing more accessible to farmers and food system workers.
What did you learn in this position?
Coming into this position, I had little to no background in the agricultural and food system sectors, so my biggest learning accomplishment was discovering all the amazing work going on in this corner of the world! I learnt so much about the importance of accessible research and education, public outreach and engagement, and strong communities.
Why does this work matter?
The research that the CSFS and others are producing has the ability to change the way we do agriculture, to restructure our food systems, and to make significant strides towards a more sustainable future. However, this research can be difficult to access and understand. The work of the BC Food Web aims to bridge this gap and bring amazing solutions onto the farm.
What would you tell a new student taking on this role? Or what do you wish you had known?
Get ready to learn and grow a lot! The CSFS and the UBC Farm is an incredibly supportive community that will motivate you to try new things and reach your full potential. Take advantage of this incredible network while you can.
What should people know about the UBC Farm that they probably don’t know?
It is so much more than just the physical farm! While that space is amazing and everything that goes on there incredible to witness, the UBC Farm and the CSFS have so many more projects – one of them being the BC Food Web.
What’s your favourite thing to do at the UBC Farm?
Just be there and soak up the sun (if there is any)! My position has always been remote, even before COVID-19, so any chance I have to get onto the farm is a privilege!
What other roles have you held at CSFS at the UBC Farm?
This was my first role with the CSFS and UBC Farm, however, I am very luck and excited to be moving into my new role with the CSFS at their Webinar Coordinator for the summer of 2021!
Work Learn Profile: Erika Luna, Sustainable Food Systems Data Assistant
What did you work on in this role?
I cleaned, wrangled, and displayed the farm operations data.
What did you learn in this position?
I learned technical skills like using Tableau for data visualization.
Why does this work matter?
Data management and its proper communication are essential to fulfilling the UBC Farm purposes. From its role as a living laboratory to its role as a food production system, keeping records throughout time is the only way we can evaluate our practices. Moreover, sharing this data with others outside of CSFS is also extremely valuable as this knowledge could contribute to the propagation of more sustainable food systems.
What would you tell a new student taking on this role? Or what do you wish you had known?
If there is enough space to be creative and bring your own ideas into your work, do it! My supervisor, Mollie, was great at giving me space and this was definitely one of the things that I enjoyed the most.
What should people know about the UBC Farm that they probably don’t know?
The farm handles a lot of data that it’s open to the public at Dataverse and Tableau!
What’s your favourite thing to do at the UBC Farm?
Work Learn Profile: Graham Matheson, Student Research Assistant
What did you work on in this role?
I collected field data for UBC Farm’s Biodiversity Monitoring Program. I worked with a team to net and identify bumble bees, count and measure earth worms, identify plants, capture images of wildlife on remote cameras, and measure trees at over 30 sampling sites on the UBC Farm property.
What did you learn in this position?
I learned how to identify bumble bees and I also learned the scientific names of many plants. I learned how to measure the height of a tree and how to estimate carbon content based on a tree’s measurements.
Why does this work matter?
UBC Farm is home to all kinds of wildlife. By studying them, we can learn a lot about how land management decisions at the farm and in the university endowment lands in general are impacting the environment and its inhabitants.
What would you tell a new student taking on this role? Or what do you wish you had known?
I would tell a new student taking on this summer role that you will be out in nature a lot, you will get wet and dirty and sunburned and sore, and it will be one of the best jobs you will ever have.
What should people know about the UBC Farm that they probably don’t know?
The UBC Farm is home to so much wildlife, whether its resident coyotes, migrating birds, or elusive pacific tree frogs. It is truly a gem of biodiversity in the region, home to animals that are no longer found in many areas of Greater Vancouver.
What’s your favourite thing to do at the UBC Farm?
Pick berries.
What other roles have you held at CSFS at the UBC Farm?
