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Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification

Author: Michael Lee

K-State researchers awarded $1.1 million to address challenges in livestock systems in Ethiopia

Posted on by Michael Lee

jessiesTwo teams of researchers at Kansas State University have been awarded over $1.1 million to investigate beef and dairy cattle systems, as well as mycotoxins in livestock feed, in Ethiopia. The projects, funded under the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems (LSIL) in a four-year Reach grant and a one-year Focus grant, will employ a systems-based research approach that strengthens linkages between improved animal-source food production, consumption practices and human nutrition outcomes.

Jessie Vipham, assistant professor of global food systems and nutrition, and Dustin Pendell, associate professor of agricultural economics, will serve as principal investigators of the $1.04 million Reach grant. Deon van der Merwe, associate professor of toxicology, will lead the Focus grant. Both projects utilize expertise from K-State’s College of Agriculture, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification (SIIL), the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sorghum and Millet (SMIL), the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss (PHL) and the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“An exciting component of both of these projects is that they have combined the expertise of K-State faculty from several disciplines with the international research networks of multiple K-State Feed the Future Innovation Labs,” Vipham said. “It is a great example of the research capacity that exists at K-State.” Continue reading “K-State researchers awarded $1.1 million to address challenges in livestock systems in Ethiopia” →

10 Ways to Use Your Degree to Address Food Insecurity

Posted on by Michael Lee

So, you got your degree. Congratulations!! Welcome to the real world. You are probably asking yourself, “What now?” Turns out that earning your degree was just the first step, now all you have to do is decide what you want to do for the rest of your life. No pressure.

The world, as a whole, is under pressure for constant change. This change is evident in technology, resource availability, political policy, social and cultural dynamics and much more. As the saying goes, “If you are not changing, you are not growing.” With change, however, comes the inevitable uncertainty of how to manage it. In terms of food security, the rising global population, change in climate and resource availability, and the fragility of political and social constructs has left many pondering the question, “How will we manage change?”

Though the answer to this question is uncertain, this change will also produce new innovations and unexpected breakthroughs in several areas of influence on the production, marketing and consumption of food. This sheds new light on the burden of feeding the world’s ever-increasing population, an expected 9.56 billion by 2050 (United Nations, 2015). With the help of great minds and dynamic multidisciplinary teams, success is possible. So, “What now?” How about utilizing your expertise to solve a real world problem? Here are our top 10 ways to use your degree to address global food insecurity. Continue reading “10 Ways to Use Your Degree to Address Food Insecurity” →

InterAction’s Food Security Fair

Posted on by Michael Lee
Dr. B. Jan Middendorf and Rep. Lynn Jenkins at the InterAction Innovation Fair

InterAction, an alliance of nongovernmental organizations, serves as a convener, thought leader and voice for the community. The alliance held its first ever innovation fair on June 14, 2016. Twenty universities, companies, nonprofits and other organizations attended the fair to discuss issues in food security. These entities came together to share different strategies for creating lasting change, reducing poverty, and improving food and nutritional security in communities throughout the world. SIIL was one of the 20 organizations present sharing current research efforts on the issue of sustainable intensification. Dr. B. Jan Middendorf, Associate Director of SIIL, represented the Lab at the event and had the opportunity to interact with Rep. Lynn Jenkins (KS). Rep. Jenkins is the co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus.

Click here to learn more about InterAction and the work that they do.

Click here to visit the SIIL website to learn more about our research program.

Scholarship offered for students in Bangladesh

Posted on by Michael Lee

For students in Bangladesh, a new opportunity has just been announced. The SIIL-Polder Scholarship was released this month for both M.S. and Ph.D. students in the following research areas: agronomy/water management, human nutrition, socioeconomics/economics, gender in agriculture, and environment. The scholarship is available for students that are enrolled in any university in Bangladesh, are involved in the field of rice science and related systems research and are proficient in English. There is a monthly stipend associated with the position. Interested parties should apply online. After fully completing the required forms, students will be kept up to date with the status of their application. The deadline for application is June 30, 2016. Please consider applying for or sharing this exciting opportunity!

Click here to visit the website where you can find more information on the scholarship as well as directions on how to apply.