Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science (SAFES)
An interdisciplinary, science-to-practice platform to study landscape-level challenges
The Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science (SAFES) establishes a novel environment for accelerating solutions to persistently "wicked" landscape-level challenges centered on agriculture, food, and the environment. The science of agricultural sustainability underpins the mission of SAFES and provides a comprehensive approach to the complexity of challenges which integrates natural and social sciences with technological advancements, human behavior, economics, and policy.
SAFES integrates agriculturally and environmentally related disciplines to develop holistic approaches for tackling "wicked" challenges.
SAFES trains the next generation of researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers in integrating information from across domains and using science-based data for decision making.
SAFES shortens the distance between science and practice by actively connecting biophysical scientists with sociologists, communication scientists and educators. This work is led by the Agriculture and Environment Center through a shared discovery engagement process.
Latest News
October 30, 2024
Penn State Report A Concern Give Apply This is Penn State Academics Admission Tuition and Aid Research Athletics News Research Microplastics increasing in freshwater, directly related to plastic production
Microplastics have been steadily increasing in freshwater environments for decades and are directly tied to rising global plastic production since the 1950s, according to a new study by an interdisciplinary team of Penn State researchers. The findings provide insight into how microplastics move and spread in freshwater environments, which could be important for creating long-term solutions to reduce pollution, the researchers said.
Read MoreOctober 10, 2024
AI decodes microbes’ message in milk safety testing approach
By combining the genetic sequencing and analysis of the microbes in a milk sample with artificial intelligence (AI), researchers were able to detect anomalies in milk production, such as contamination or unauthorized additives. The new approach could help improve dairy safety, according to the study authors from Penn State, Cornell University and IBM Research.
Read MoreOctober 9, 2024
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences faculty honored by national society
Two faculty members in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Ali Demirci and Juliana Vasco-Correa, recently received awards from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE).
Read MoreOctober 8, 2024
New project to support microgreens producers with risk management education
Faculty members in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have launched a new project to help agricultural producers tackle the challenges of microgreens production.
Read More