Next month I am moving to the Netherlands to begin my Masters in Organic Agriculture at Wageningen University & Research. My goal is to complete the Double Degree which involves going to school at WUR and also attending ISARA in Lyon, France. The Double Degree will be in Organic Agriculture and Agroecology. At this point, I do not know if I will be able to complete the program due to enrollment, but it is my hope that after I speak with my adviser at WUR I will have a better idea as to if this is an option for me.
Structure MSc Agroecology - MSc Organic Agriculture
The double degree program MSc Agroecology - MSc Organic Agriculture is in compliance with European Credit Transfer System. The program consists of a common core of modules and a custom-made curriculum designed by each student according to his or her field of interest and career plans.
M1
Wageningen, The Netherlands
Period 1:
Organic Agriculture and Society (6 ECTS)
Sustainability and Resilience in History (6 ECTS)
Masterclass Organic Agriculture Pt 1 (3 ECTS)
Period 2:
Social Transformations towards Sustainable Food Systems (6 ECTS)
Land Degradation & Development (6 ECTS)
Period 3:
Quantitative Research Methodology and Statistics (6 ECTS)
Period 4 & 5:
Internship - Farming Systems Ecology (24 ECTS)
*possibly Earth System Modeling (6 ECTS) during Period 4*
Period 6:
Agroecology (6 ECTS)
M2
Period 1-3:
ISARA, (member of FESIA), France
F1: Agriculture and landscape management in a particular agricultural region (4 ECTS)
F2: Agroecological cropping practices (7 ECTS)
F3: World agroecosystems and agricultural use (5 ECTS)
F4: Management of agroecosystems: implications from policies and nature conservation (6 ECTS)
F5: Group project management (8 ECTS)
Period 4-6:
Wageningen or FESIA
Master thesis (co-supervised)
As for Thesis Ideas, there are a few, but I'd like to focus on Heritage Breeds for particular agricultural regions. What I mean is, looking for breeds that have survived in specific areas for hundreds, if not thousands, of years to combat issues like drought, altitude, soil pollutants, and/or flood. If we can find and utilize ancient sources of food and incorporate them into modern production methods, we may be able to stabilize food resources in poverty zones. An example is the Tepary Bean.
From Native Seed Search:
"First grown in the Southwest during ancient times, tepary beans (Phaseolus acutifolius) mature quickly and are tolerant of the low desert heat, drought and alkaline soils. They are among the most drought and heat tolerant crops in the world. Tepary beans are high in protein and contain soluble fiber helpful in controlling cholesterol and diabetes. Generally white tepary beans have a slightly sweet flavor and brown tepary beans have an earthy flavor. Tepary beans can be used in place of any standard dried bean. Soak the dried beans before cooking. They are best planted with the mid-summer monsoon rains characteristic of the Southwest, unless otherwise stated. They generally do not tolerate wet conditions and clay soils."
If we take a bean like this, and figure out a way to make them tolerant to wet conditions and clay soils, we can increase the areas they can grow in. Also, if we can cultivate them using modern agricultural production methods, we can start supplementing current varieties with these 7,000 year old beans.
This idea is not just limited to plants, but animals as well. A marketing campaign working towards alternative meats like goat and sheep in the U.S., or Water Buffalo in Asia, etc. could help avert crisis in monocultures. The Livestock Conservancy is a good U.S./Western Europe listing, but categorizing other geographic zones could help expand knowledge and resources.
Critically Endangered Farm Stock Samples:
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