Ohio State graduate student wins international contest to improve the sustainability of our food system
Henry Anton Peller, a PhD student in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, was recognized on November 28 at the 9th International Forum on Food and Nutrition by BCFN YES! 2018 in Milan, Italy for a project he and University of Edinburgh-Scotland colleague Cathy Smith presented to improve the sustainability of our food system.
BCFN YES! is an international contest for young people charged with coming up with practical projects to create a better balance between food sustainability and environmental sustainability.
The winning project, YES! to participatory agroecology: Farmer-led plant breeding and soil regeneration in southern Belize will amplify scientific collaborations with Maya people. The project creates on-farm trials with dozens of cover crop, legume, and maize varieties; develops multi-species cover cropping practices to improve ecological soil fertility; and promotes farmer exchange of seeds, ideas, and dreams.
The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) organizes the forum to provide an open space for interdisciplinary discussion on issues of nutrition and sustainability that brings together experts, international opinion-makers and young research fellows, and create a model of sustainable food to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Henry studies soil science in the School of Environment and Natural Resources. His current research and projects seek to facilitate social organization, practical innovations, and critical thought with Indigenous peoples and farmers. Henry’s dissertation research specifically examines soil fertility, agricultural change, and farmer pedagogy in southern Belize, where he has worked since 2015. His efforts are committed to the global social movements for agroecology, food sovereignty, and climate justice.