Browse General Agriculture Stories

Each year, more than 1.3 billion tons of edible food is lost or wasted across the global supply chain — much after harvest but before it ever reaches a plate. Now, researchers at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and partners across North America are working to help reduce that loss in one of the most challenging agricultural environments in the world: the United Arab Emirates. Through the new international collaboration, U.S.-based postharvest specialists partnered with agricultural leaders in Abu Dhabi to strengthen local food systems, improve crop handling and storage, and train the next generation of Extension professionals — all with the goal to keep more food fresher, longer.

In Winterville, Georgia, a small market grew into a movement. Meet the people behind the Marigold Collective, where farmers, volunteers and neighbors band together to transform fresh food into shared growth. With support from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, Marigold Collective is working to make local food more accessible while creating economic opportunities for small agribusinesses.

Jesse Cronic, a third-year agricultural and applied economics student in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, was selected to join the Future Agriculture Leaders Delegation to China, a program organized by the U.S. Soybean Export Council and the U.S. Heartland China Association. The experience offered an immersive look at Chinese agribusiness, trade dynamics and the cultural ties that shape global agriculture.

Liang Dong, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Microelectronics Research Center at Iowa State University, is set to become the University of Georgia’s newest Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, effective Aug. 1. At UGA, Dong will be the GRA Eminent Scholar in Precision Agriculture, with a joint appointment in the colleges of Engineering and Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He will also serve as associate director for research at the Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture.

Fifteen years ago, what is now a thriving, 10-acre teaching farm began as little more than a beat-up cattle run. Today, UGArden is not only a model of sustainable agriculture at the University of Georgia: It’s also a cherished community garden built by and for students, where they can learn to grow food organically, connect with the land and serve the broader Athens community.

Multifaceted research on the social and environmental impacts of diversified agriculture from institutions around the world, including the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been named one of three International Frontiers Planet Prize winners. An initiative of the Frontiers Research Foundation, the Frontiers Planet Prize recognizes transformational research that shows the greatest potential to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges.

The Heirloom Collards Project is a nationwide, community-driven effort to preserve and evolve heirloom collard varieties through seed saving, education and collaborative research. The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has joined the effort to promote seed sovereignty and strengthen resilient food systems across the South, engaging students in hands-on seed stewardship.

Long before a ripe blueberry makes it into a grocery cart or muffin mix, a native bee has likely played a quiet but critical role in its journey. Now, thanks to a robust study on wild bee diversity in blueberry fields, we know more about just how essential those wild pollinators are to one of the state’s most valuable fruit crops. Sarah Rezende, a doctoral candidate in entomology at the University of Georgia, is working to uncover what Georgia’s wild bees need to thrive — and how their movements shape the productivity of commercial blueberry farms.

In this episode of Cultivating Curiosity, we dive into the science behind composting with two University of Georgia Cooperative Extension experts — what composting is, why it matters and how you can start doing it right at home. Whether you’re new to composting or looking to improve your bin game, this episode breaks down the basics, offers beginner-friendly tips and shares the real-life benefits of turning your food scraps into nutrient-rich soil. Plus, learn how composting can save you money and help the planet, one banana peel at a time.