In all of North America, the only place you can major in organic agriculture is the University of Guelph. Recently, the program came under fire for low enrollment, and a widely held belief emerged that organic teaching and research in general was on the block.
But that’s not true. The organic agriculture major, or specialization, may be flagging at the Ontario Agricultural College, but that’s in sharp contrast to the institution’s overall commitment to organic agriculture research and teaching. What’s been lost in the recent debate over keeping or cutting the teaching major has been organic teaching and research’s steady growth and diversity across the entire college.
Here's the situation. In early April, the University of Guelph Senate decided not to eliminate the fledgling organic agriculture major from the Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) program this fall. The decision was contrary to a recommendation from the Ontario Agricultural College and the University of Guelph’s Board of Undergraduate Studies, which wanted the major eliminated.
The college thought it couldn’t afford to keep the major. Indeed, university administration had asked all colleges to identify low-enrollment programs, and over the past five years, this major had drawn less than 10 students.
But instead of eliminating the program, Senate requested that the specialty be reviewed over the next year, to determine if a compelling financial- and enrollment case can be made to sustain it.
Dean Rob Gordon agreed to the review. He says support for the major will need to be clear, and the college will seek evidence that the organic major is positioned to attract sufficient students to make it much more sustainable.
He'll also be asking the organic industry to financially get behind this major, while the program grows.
“We're looking for the industry to step up and say the program is important, and support it,” says Gordon.
Despite the low enrollment in the major, however, Guelph’s presence in organic agriculture teaching remains active. And its research in organic production is growing significantly.
For example, last September, the University celebrated with great fanfare the opening of the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming, on the main campus next to the university’s Child Care and Learning Centre. The urban organic farming initiative is to serve as a community networking centre. It was supported through planning and initial planting by the Canadian Organic Growers, the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario and a group called FarmStart.
The optics of a one-hectare organic site next to a child-care centre are exceptional. No question, the university was making an open and highly visible statement about its intent to align itself with organic agriculture.
The centre’s opening followed a donation of a 700-acre private farm southeast of Ottawa, in 2006. The donor’s decision to support Guelph in this way was motivated by a declaration by the university, affirming the Ontario Agricultural College was committed to organic as well as conventional agriculture.
Before that, the University had become involved in organic field research at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre in north Guelph. Students and faculty have conducted research there on matters such as grain yield and weed control in organically managed spring oats.
In fact, several instructors in the Ontario Agricultural College teach courses dealing with some elements of organic agriculture. They include faculty in departments such as plant agriculture, environmental biology, land resource science and food, agricultural and resource economics.
The expertise is not limited to the main campus. Organic teaching and research is taking place across other campuses in areas such as dairy research and weed control.
“We still have graduate students involved in organic research and we still teach courses in organic production, it’s just that the numbers are low for the organic major,” says Gordon.
Overall, he’s undeterred about the college’s way forward.
“I believe we have the opportunity to be world leaders in organic agriculture if we spend our resources wisely,” he says. “I’m committed to the sector and to developing our organic capacity, which can lead to everything from organic farms to ‘green’ jobs. The potential is enormous.”
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