By Priya Mishra, Student in SEE-U NYC: Agro-eco/Food Systems Course Entering the one train at Van Cortlandt Park and taking it down an hour to Wall Street can feel like going from one world to another. The segregation of New York City’s different neighborhoods by income level is part of a very deliberate and racist history… read more

by Julia Cobb, Student in SEE-U NYC: Agro-eco/Food Systems Course Camembert called to me. I needed her. And Parmigiano Reggiano. And Cave-Aged Gruyère. And Red Wax Gouda. Or so I explained to my boyfriend as I sampled yet another slice. “Just one more,” I promised. It wasn’t just one more. Soon I had sampled four different… read more

by Elizabeth Bush, Student in SEE-U NYC: Agro-eco/Food Systems Course If you could go back in time, to what age and country would you wish to be transported?  There are so many choices, and mine change regularly.  But as I have been exploring the world of native plants in my garden, I can’t help but wish… read more

by Ava Jones, Student in SEE-U NYC: Agro-eco/Food Systems Course For many people, there has been a more recent and more focused attention put on where our food comes from and how it is impacting the strained environment we’re all living in right now. This should be seen as a good thing for the everyday consumer,… read more

by Crystal Pereira, Student in SEE-U NYC: Agro-eco/Food Systems Course I asked my three-year-old, curly-headed son if he knew where corn came from. “Yes. The store,” he said tilting his head downward, keeping his eyes on mine. I chuckled a bit, reminding myself to stay in mom mode and that I was talking to a little… read more

By Nate Eckman, Student in SEE-U NYC: Agro-eco/Food Systems Imagine a body of water 15% bigger than Utah’s Great Salt Lake nearly disappearing from the earth. Now, no longer imagine, but see it for yourself: Snapshots from Google Earth ® timeline. The top picture shows Lake Urmia in December 1999. The bottom shows what remains of… read more

By Hannah Weiss, student in SEE-U NYC: Agro-eco and Food Systems Vertical farming, similar to indoor farming, is commonly understood as the practice of growing food indoors by controlling all elements of its development. The only difference between vertical farming and indoor farming? Scale. Vertical farms are stacked and multi-story, typically occupying entire skyscrapers, whereas… read more

On April 27th, Columbia University’s Earth Institute, the School of International and Public Affairs, the Center for Agriculture and Food Security, and the Columbia Water Center will present the 2017 Forum on Sustainable Agriculture. The Forum will continue a discussion on the global challenge of providing food for a growing population while also mitigating and… read more

Environmental Markets: The Nexus of Business, Regulation, and Sustainability Instructor: Rich Weihe Spring 2017: January 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14 Description: The results of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election indicate the US EPA’s Clean Power Plan will likely not survive. Challenges to environmental regulation and related markets are not new but rather have been commonplace… read more

Sustainable Agriculture Through Innovation and Collaboration Jeffrey Potent, Adjunct Professor Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs and the Columbia Earth Institute Agriculture is sustainable when it nourishes people and restores and protects the land, air, water and other living creatures.  It is sustainable when it mitigates and is resilient to climate change and… read more