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Loss and Resiliency: Exploring Agricultural Complexity in Eastern North Carolina

AgBioFEWS Cohort 3

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Focusing on environmental pressures and changing social dynamics within agriculture, the 2022 AgBioFEWS Fellows reflect on their immersive summer field experience with farming communities in eastern North Carolina.

Abstract

North Carolina’s geographical and biological diversity present crop-growers with both exciting opportunities and immense challenges. Following an immersive field experience in NC’s Central and Northern Coastal Plains, AgBioFEWS Cohort 3 will provide a first-hand account of these complexities, giving close attention to recurring themes of loss and resilience.

The discussion begins with farmers’ perspectives on environmental pressures, including climate change, salt intrusion, insect resistance, and the adoption of emerging biotechnologies. Secondly, it will consider the changing social dynamics within farming communities, including issues surrounding land acquisition, market constraints, trusted expertise, farmer-to-farmer relationships, and labor concerns. Taken together, these reflections demonstrate how, in the face of constant change to both the environment and their communities, NC farmers demonstrate resilience and adaptability worthy of deeper consideration.

Speakers

AgBioFEWS Fellows are Ph.D. candidates across multidisciplinary fields of study collaboratively examining the science, policy, and public engagement aspects and impacts of Agricultural Biotechnology on Food, Energy, and Water. In addition to their primary graduate program, Fellows complete coursework toward a graduate minor in Genetic Engineering and Society and collaborate on an interdisciplinary cohort project. Cohort 3 includes: Modesta Abugu, Rebekah Brown, Asa Budnick, Eric Butoto, Greg Ferraro, Adelyn Flowers, Jill Furgurson, Katrina Geist, Chris Gillespie, Nick Loschin, Amanda Mainello, Nolan Speicher, and Ruthie Stokes.

GES Colloquium is jointly taught by Drs. Jen Baltzegar and Dawn Rodriguez-Ward, who you may contact with any class-specific questions. Colloquium will be held in-person in Poe 202, as well as live-streamed via Zoom. Please subscribe to the GES newsletter and Twitter for updates .