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Discover CALS

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

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Redesigning 21st Century Agri-Food Systems

Moonshot thinking

Nourishing people and planet as interconnected systems that create opportunities for digital agriculture, circularity, markets and economic development, and impactful local solutions from New York to the world. 

Resilient agri-food systems are essential to human existence. Global food networks must adapt to feed a population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, while also contending with land, water and energy shortages caused by a warming planet. CALS seeks to develop novel ways to boost food production and nutrition and conserve resources—ensuring a nutritious, accessible, equitable, and sustainable food supply for all.

Research spotlight

Mario Herrero

Mario has found that plant-based alternatives to beef have the potential to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but their growth in popularity could disrupt the agricultural workforce, threatening more than 1.5 million industry jobs.

Learn more about Mario Herrero and his work.

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Opportunities to support

Faculty, program support & research

CALS globally recognized faculty are the cornerstone of our reputation as a premier institution of scientific learning. Support CALS faculty and graduate students working on a multitude of issues around 21st century agri-food systems.

Student support & affordability

Scholarships enable Cornell to recruit and enroll the most promising scholars and garner a diverse student population. CALS supports students to ensure their success through programs such as peer mentoring, E3, CALS navigator, and experiential learning opportunities.

Flexible impact

Establishing a named Moonshot fund or supporting the established Redesigning 21st Century Agri-Food Systems Moonshot fund offers CALS leadership the greatest flexibility to take advantage of innovative and emerging opportunities, and will be used to bolster CALS' strengths in support of initiatives focused on 21st century agri-food systems.

Show your support

Make your gift to a moonshot
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The impact of giving

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News

Plant Science Building renovations honor past, look to future
This summer, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences celebrated the completion of one-half of a long-planned renovation and the news that New York state will support renovations of the other half starting next year. “The renovation has...
  • Plants
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Horticulture Section
On the left, a man looks into a mechanical device to examine a sample under UV light. On the right, a different man stands smiling, holding a small container of soil next to laboratory equipment.

Field Note

Exploring nutrient movement from the ground up: Meet Aaron & Carlos
Aaron Gómez Orellan and Carlos Durán joined Cornell CALS’ Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP) team this semester as undergraduate interns. Aaron and Carlos hope to get the most out of this opportunity by diving deeper into sustainable...
  • Animal Science
  • Agriculture