Technologies for Agriculture and Living Systems

The College of Agricultural Sciences envisions a future where advanced technologies help create sustainable, resilient agricultural systems interconnected with the living systems that sustain them.

The Technologies for Agriculture and Living Systems (TALiS) initiative is a unique, holistic approach that balances the need for increased food productivity and efficiency with a dedication to conserving our vital living systems.

These living systems include agriculture but also the adjacent forests, wetlands, and waterways as well as the ecological biodiversity of plants, insects, and animals and the resiliency of our rural and urban communities. Pennsylvania’s landscapes offer an excellent testbed for integrating technologies across these different types of agriculture, natural, and social ecosystems. We envision Pennsylvania as a leader in developing and testing these integrated agroecosystems, serving as a living laboratory for scalable and practical solutions.

The TALiS initiative establishes a framework and roadmap to grow and support an entire pipeline of technological solutions, from early development to the real-world application of innovations in farming and ecology that dramatically improve our ability to monitor and manage production and access to food, biodiversity and natural resources, and human health and well-being. This approach ensures a stable food supply, promotes environmental conservation, and boosts the economy of Pennsylvania by fostering innovation and creating new job opportunities.

The College of Agricultural Sciences is committed to our role as Pennsylvania's land-grant institution by organizing and leading this statewide initiative in the development and application of emerging and advanced technologies to support healthy farms, cities, forests, and waters in Pennsylvania and across the world. This initiative builds on 150 years of bringing diverse stakeholders into conversation to balance the advancement of our state's industries with a dedicated effort to also protect our precious natural resources and ensure the endurance of our living systems for future generations.

As we build this initiative, we invite partners from within and beyond the University to join us in realizing this vision for twenty-first century agroecosystems at our annual TALiS Symposium.