Back

Discover CALS

See how our current work and research is bringing new thinking and new solutions to some of today's biggest challenges.

Search for News & Stories

Two farmers holding produce in a greenhouse

News

As hunger rose in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Rick and Laura Pedersen responded by sharing the bounty of their farm with their local food bank in upstate New York. “It’s distressing to think about that many people in our community...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Global Development Section
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
Two men stand on a construction scaffold flying a purple flag

News

Indigenous people began ironworking in the 19th century, when they were hired to build railroad bridges in Canada. They helped craft the New York City skyline, working on projects including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and...
  • American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program
  • Communication
  • Land
Illustration of the world with icons and lines connecting continents

News

An international community of hunger fighters called the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative ( BGRI) joined forces starting in 2005 to confront climate change and diseases that threatened wheat — one of the world’s most important crops. For 15 years...
  • Global Development Section
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics Section
a field of malting barley growing

News

Formerly called CU-31, the barley got its name as a result of a contest co-hosted this fall by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Richard Ball, commissioner of Ag and...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics Section
A hand touches cassava stacked in basket

News

Five new cassava varieties developed with support from NextGen Cassava have been approved for release in Nigeria. These next generation varieties deliver promising options for smallholder farmers in resisting cassava diseases and marketing their...
  • Global Development Section
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics Section
A student sitting at a desk working on a computer

News

Giving students the tools to respond positively to adversity is a critical part of preparing them for their future careers, and is one of the main missions of the Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI). Each year, CTI grants funding through the...
  • Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
  • Landscape Architecture
Hands hold a pile of biochar

News

  • Global Development Section
  • Natural Resources
  • Food
Linda McCandless holds a camera in the mountains of Nepal

News

Linda McCandless ‘74, an intrepid journalist and champion for under-told stories around the world, received the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative’s (BGRI) Norman E. Borlaug Lifetime Achievement Award honoring her career advocating for science and smallholder farmers.
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Global Development Section
  • Global Development
Microbes sitting on top of blue, orange and yellow colored squares

News

The key: Let bioengineered microbes do all the work. Buz Barstow, assistant professor of biological and environmental engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and doctoral candidate Farshid Salimijazi have assembled...
  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Biological and Environmental Engineering
  • Microbial biology
a hand holds a clump of soil

News

To fill that research gap, a team of soil scientists in Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), conducted a state-funded project to characterize soil health across New York state agricultural lands. Published in...
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Horticulture Section
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section
Purple and pink sea star underwater

News

Citing a 90% decline in the species’ global population, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on Dec. 10 officially placed the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) on the group’s Red List of Threatened Species...
  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Fish
Produce in the grocery store

News

The group’s report – “ Socio-Technical Innovation Bundles for Agri-Food Systems,” funded by the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability – was published Dec. 10 on the Nature Sustainability website, in collaboration with its sibling journal...
  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
  • Global Development Section
a person looks at a male speaker on their laptop screen

News

Food businesses and consumers struggling with impacts of COVID-19 in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kenya, Nepal and Senegal now have access to customized resources, thanks to a mentorship project led by the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell...
  • Institute for Food Safety
  • Food Science
  • Food
Power lines with a sunset behind them

News

Drawing on Cornell’s expertise in climate change science and education, the Cornell Climate Smart Solutions Program is delivering a comprehensive training program for the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) nearly 2,400 employees in New York...
  • Global Development Section
  • Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
  • Department of Communication

News

The Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability is soliciting nominations for The Earthshot Prize, a new global award supported by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to tackle the world’s biggest environmental challenges...

  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Environment
Many students appear on the screen for a Zoom seminar.

News

“If I'm treating someone, I want the treatment to be made for them. Some people are allergic to things. Some people don't process things the same way. But no matter what, the people come first,” Bucknor said. “I was searching for that connection...
  • Chemical Ecology Group
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Department of Entomology
Man holds eggplant in a field

News

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual who has devoted their career to IPM. Shelton was recognized for significant contributions to enhancing IPM through team building with various stakeholder groups, and addressing issues across...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Global Development Section
  • Development
Desk with laptop, plant and coffee cup

News

Each summer, CALS Global Fellows sends students around the world to work and intern with a variety of host organizations. These positions enhance and complement their career goals and academic progress, while enriching their undergraduate...
  • CALS Global Fellows Program
  • Global Development Section
  • Global Development
A woman speaking on a computer screen

News

The New York Coalition for Sustainability in Higher Education formally organized the conference with hosts Cornell and Ithaca College. It featured three days of problem-solving workshops, such as finding ways to engage students with the United...
  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Global Development Section
  • Natural Resources and the Environment Section
White grubs in someone's hand.

News

Now, thanks to a two-year, $199,922 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture, a team of Cornell scientists will use acoustic technology to develop efficient and affordable ways to manage soil...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Natural Resources and the Environment Section
  • Plants