President Tate's Scholarship First Agenda
Agriculture
Opportunity
LSU’s commitment to sustaining and supporting the agriculture economy of Louisiana is the common thread that defines our past and reimagines our future. Designated as Louisiana’s first land-grant university in 1877, LSU is charged with advancing the lives of Louisianans through teaching, research, and outreach. The revitalization of the LSU agricultural enterprise will be centered in the pursuit of industry-shaping discoveries and solutions to problems that are limiting innovation and threatening the stability of this crucial industry.
Importance
Our continuously growing world population and changing environmental conditions demand that we increase and optimize our food and fiber production. The key lies in education and research to refine existing technologies and develop new tools, methods, and crop varieties.
LSU’s agriculture enterprise also plays a critical role in achieving cleaner water and air, sustainable forests, a stable coastlines, and vibrant ecosystems that protect the livelihoods and traditions that make Louisiana like no other state.
Vision
LSU will merge traditional practices in agriculture with advancing technology and modern tools to:
- Improve outcomes for all Louisiana farmers
- Ensure food security for every person in Louisiana
- Establish LSU Ag Center and College of Agriculture as one of top 5 in the nation
Impact
Agricultural Research in Action
LSU researchers are helping to address food preservation issues such as spoilage and contamination by bacteria through their work with chitosan, a natural substance created from the shells of crustaceans.
Through the Scholarship First Agenda, LSU seeks to secure Louisiana’s future and create solutions essential to the future of agriculture, biomedicine, the coast, defense, and energy.
Gustavo Ferreira, a U.S. Army major with a doctorate in agricultural economics from LSU, is helping military decision-makers gain insight into how agriculture-related issues can affect military actions across the globe.
Explore All Five Priorities
LSU has aligned core areas of strength and potential strength with Louisiana’s most important challenges and opportunities.