Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems Track
Students at Universidad de Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus have the option of enrolling in an Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems Track. This special track comprises two main components: direct-enroll courses at the university and the option of an internship in the field, coordinated by the School in Puerto Rico and supervised by a local leader, professional, and/or professor. This track will give students the opportunity to engage with the topic of Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems in an interdisciplinary manner and from a social justice perspective.
In an archipelago that imports about 90% of the food it consumes and where a vast number of its population suffers from food and nutritional deficits as well as poverty (42% in Puerto Rico), critically analyzing the workings of its food systems is of utmost importance. In recent years, a new movement of farmers and citizens has been actively working towards creating new networks for growing and distributing crops, following agroecological models, educating and promoting collaborative and sustainable practices, and striving for food justice and sovereignty. Students in this track will be able to engage critically with such topics and learn about best practices towards a more resilient and food-secure society. We also aim for students to become familiar and engage with local efforts promoting agroecological and/or mutual aid efforts, to analyze their own roles within food system networks and to consider potential opportunities for collaboration and towards positive social change.
Students not interested in enrolling in a track may opt to participate in our standard, direct-enrollment program.
University Courses
Students will have the opportunity to take three or four courses alongside Puerto Rican students at the Universidad de Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM), or three courses and an internship. Courses at UPRM may be taken from any department and program, including the department of Agro-environmental Sciences, with its programs in Crop Protection, Horticulture, Soils, and Agronomy, and its seminars on Agricultural and Environmental Systems, and the departments of Science and Technology of Food, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Education, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, among others.
Please note, courses offered vary each semester, and all courses taken by Middlebury School in Puerto Rico students must be fully in-person. However, courses dealing with food, agriculture and natural resource conservation are taught every semester.
While at UPRM, students will also take the Middlebury course, SPAN2401P Writing for Linguistic and Cultural Competence (0.5 MIDD UNITS), with a local professor.
Internships
Eligible students may have the option to work in organizations based in Mayagüez or nearby areas, where they will involve themselves in issues related to food systems, farming, and agroecology. As part of their internship opportunity, they will also be involved in a small research project supervised by an academic mentor. Students might be able to intern with El Josco Bravo (which offers a popular course every February-June in Mayagüez on agroecology), as well as other agroecological farms or faculty projects dealing with forest diversity, urban forestry, options for struggling dairy farmers, and agricultural education.
Please note: An internship opportunity in one of these organizations or projects is not guaranteed. Internship assignments depend on the student’s interests and qualifications, and the organization’s specific needs at the time.
Students interested in interning must verify that their home institutions will accept academic credit for an internship. General internship and research application procedures and deadlines will apply.
