Three men in the field

Our Work

Addressing deep-rooted social inequalities through expertise in agriculture, global health, community building, education and more.

Building a better world through innovation, collaboration and research.

  • Commitment to a transdisciplinary approach. Complex problems require complex solutions. Our 60+ researchers fuse expertise in agriculture, economics, gender, environment, plants and more to open new pathways for innovation across disciplines. 
  • Cultivating global research partnerships. From rural villages to mega cities, we work in communities across six continents in partnership with local people and groups, national institutions, NGOs and global organizations. We believe that collaboration is key to creating long-term, localized solutions. 
  • Direct social impact. Our multidisciplinary teams explore the root cause of today's greatest challenges and develop creative solutions to improve lives everywhere. We provide knowledge for the greater good with leading-edge thinking for direct social impact. 

Transforming ideas into action

Our 25+ projects, programs and institutes take a transdisciplinary approach to global development in New York state and across the globe, leaving a lasting social impact on communities, economies, food systems and the environment.

Mother helps children in house in front of the water
Man working on tractor
Research
Four faculty and students pose for photo in classroom
Institutes
Play Cornell's farmworker research and collaboration initiatives
Programs

Program highlights

Lead New York

Inspiring and developing leaders for the food, agriculture and natural resource industries of New York and the Northeast

Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program

Cultivating global leaders in in agriculture, food systems, climate change and environment and sustainability for 40 years

Robert A. and Ruth E. Polson Institute for Global Development

Cultivating a space for applied social science research, academic collaboration and educational opportunities for students outside of the classroom

Cornell Farmworker Program

Supporting farmworkers through immigration and legal services, positive workplace advocacy, English as a second language, and more in New York and beyond

Two people speaking at a desk with blocks on it
Three people looking at a page of a textbook
Four women talking next to a bar graph
Man standing in a field of knee-high leafy green crops