Resilience strategies for centers and institutes focused on food systems transformation

Abstract

University-based centers and institutes can play an important role in facilitating community-based, inter- and transdisciplinary research, and providing the capacity and expertise to address pressing issues. However, many centers and institutes face challenges related to long-term stability and resili­ence. In this paper we share recommendations on how to support centers and institutes that focus on food systems transformation. We drew these rec­ommendations from insights and stories shared by leaders of nine diverse centers and institutes that participate in the Inter-Institutional Network for Food, Agriculture, and Sustainability (INFAS). We discuss how they are structured, the work they have done, and the benefits of that work, as well as the challenges they have faced and what they rec­ommend for addressing those challenges. Their primary challenges include cultivating the support of university administrators and faculty, hiring and retaining supportive faculty, and securing sustaina­ble funding. We provide a diverse range of recom­mendations to address each of these challenges, with the hope that other centers and institutes can find some that will be relevant to their particular institutional, social, and political contexts. Note: Lauren Gwin, Michelle Miller, and Erin B. Lowe are co–first authors