Purdue University
ER-12: Sustainability Immersive Experience

Multicultural Perspectives on Sustainable Agriculture Students attend a fifteen day course in Costa Rica during which they visit natural and agricultural systems including coffee, cacao, banana, and vegetable production systems. Students will interact directly with growers and consumers to learn about Costa Rican perceptions of sustainable agriculture. The course reviews sustainable agriculture concepts, major cropping systems in the tropics, and the impact of trade on U.S. and Central American growers. The course includes a service learning project in which students work with indigenous communities. Native American attitudes and philosophy toward agriculture and sustainability is a major topic in the course. Four remain in Costa Rica for an eight week summer research experience. Promoting Sustainability: Training Agriculture Practitioners In the tropics, sustainable livelihoods depend on stable crop and livestock production systems. Soil fertility, pests, and diseases represent ongoing challenges. This course offers a hands on learning experience and addresses the science and economics of sustainable agricultural systems. The class focuses on the integration of the applied sciences, social sciences, economics and ecology as they relate to sustainability. The most recent class had a 3 week study with weekend experiences with work study, tours to farms, and community work. Students receive instruction from faculty from participating instructions. The class requires students to work with EARTH-students and their special projects, to participate with farmers by outlining their site-specific problems, and to solicit assistance from EARTH students. Students then integrate what they have learned to propose sustainable management options in a capstone seminar presented to peers and stakeholders at the La Flor campus near the west coast. This program is for all majors, but oriented for majors in Agronomy, Agricultural Economics, Building Construction Management, and Animal Sciences. Sweden: International Natural Resources Program to be held in July 2013 will be a joint course for students from North Carolina State University, Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences, and Purdue University. The study will take place in the southern portion of Sweden and adjacent counties. The student will include forestry, fisheries, and wildlife concerns with a holistic and thematic view on sustainable use and management of natural resources for different geographic, ecological, and social conditions.