Networking and Learning Across the Chesapeake Bay

Networking and Learning Across the Chesapeake Bay
By: Michael Jacobson

In early June, fourteen early career researchers (ECRs) arrived at Dickinson College Farm in Carlisle, in bucolic central Pennsylvania for a 2-week Collaborative Learning School (CLS) . The aim of the CLS was for these scholars to expand their knowledge and to share and learn from each other and facilitators on the broad theme of water energy food Nexus in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The CLS is part of a SustainFood project funded by the National Science Foundation program for Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations (AccelNet). AccelNet’s objective is creating a network of networks to advance science and encourage collaboration across researchers and countries. SustainFood focuses on US, Africa, and EU collaboration across water energy food systems. The ECRs represented fourteen countries from five continents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the first week spent at Dickinson Farm, four teams examined broad topical issues facing the Chesapeake Bay watershed, namely soil health, waste management, biogas, and livestock/water quality. Topics covered by the soil health group specifically included the importance of microbes and earthworms, farm collectives for sharing equipment, drones for more precise data collection, diversification using cover crops and hedgerows with native species (agroforestry) and engaging in citizen science. Dickinson Farm had recently installed a biodigester, so the biogas group looked at tradeoffs for use of waste to energy from both livestock manure and food waste generated by the Dickinson college community. Affordability, citizen and farmer education and policy incentives for biogas electricity were central topics in that group. The waste management group looked at the controversial food residual waste being land applied to agricultural fields as a soil amendment. Major concerns include odor faced by neighboring residence. and nutrient management. Legislation, technologies, and ways to compromise between farmers’ rights and community interest (e.g., nuisance laws) were discussed. The livestock and water quality group focused on several solutions such as buffer zones between livestock and water bodies, water quality monitoring in livestock areas: implement regular and wetlands creation for effluent treatment. Education and training for sustainable best management practices wa common solution proposed across all groups.

 

 

The second week of the CLS kicked off with a meeting at the Pennsylvania state capital in Harrisburg with policy makers. The groups each present posters and policy recommendations to a group of various agencies. The interactions with policy makers focused on understanding the larger challenges for Chesapeake Bay and opportunities for testing solutions developed by the ECRs. The remainder of the week was spent at the Chesapeake Bay itself in Maryland with the aim of linking the upstream farm issues exposed to during the first week, especially nutrient runoff, affecting downstream affecting the Bay’s water quality. In 2023, agriculture accounted for roughly 45% of total nitrogen pollution, 27% of the total phosphorus pollution, and 8% of the total sediment pollution to the Chesapeake Bay (CBF). The second week included visits to an oyster farm, and a wastewater treatment plant. The ECRs also interacted with ECRs from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore University where they all shared project activities. Finally, the CLS culminated with a network-to-network workshop at the Smithsonian Institute in Annapolis bringing together other related networks working the water energy food nexus space. As one ECR noted about the experience: “The most valuable aspect of the CLS was the element of collaboration between ECRs and facilitators from diverse academic and professional backgrounds. Working together in such a diverse group can sometimes be challenging but also quite rewarding and for me it was a remarkable experience. I have made good professional friendships during the CLS with the ECRs and the facilitators and I am eager to have an opportunity to work with these professionals on some of the ideas we discussed during the CLS”.

 

Student Innovators Tackling Hunger: The SustainFood Zero Hunger Student Competition

We challenged the brightest student minds with SustainFood’s call to action – submit your most innovative ideas to address food insecurity. For their groundbreaking approaches to climate-smart food production, the top three teams were judged to be the following (in alphabetical order):

AquaCulture Nexus: Thulani Ningi (University of Fort Hare), Tinashe Magada (Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University), Taiwo Bamgboye (University in Oulu), Nandipha Tonisi (University of Fort Hare), Reason Charachimwe (Zimbabwe Open University)

Ecogrow Nexus: Gift Albert (Daresalaam Maritime Institute), Calvin Nelson (Daresalaam Maritime Institute), Gladness Maluila (Daresalaam Institute of Technology), Zaima Marine (Muhimbili University of Health)

Feed Africa: Martin SOUILI,  Aboubacar LAOUALI MAMAN (International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE))

Three teams also received an honorable mention from the judges for their innovative ideas as follows (in alphabetical order):

AgriEnvo Group:  Emmanuely Zephaline Nungula, Vedasto Victor Ngaiza, Luciana Raphael Chappa (Kenyatta University)

Nutrition 4 Tomorrow: Bethel Chademana (Bindura University of Science Education), Nyasha  Makaha (Bindura University of Science Education)

Zero-Hunger Community Champions: Praizy Zakaria (JKUAT), Sylvester Masika (JKUAT), Philip Siminyu (University of Nairobi)

The Customer Discovery Lab at Penn State ran the Zero Hunger Student Competition as part of the SustainFood network of networks focused on sustainable food systems using the water-energy-food nexus framework in the U.S., African, and Europe.Funded by the National Science Foundation, SustainFood is led by Penn State University, Michigan State University, and the Stockholm Environment Institute, with a range of partners across Africa and Europe.

For the competition, a total of 61 student teams from 21 countries submitted their innovative ideas to increase the food security of vulnerable communities amidst soaring food prices, supply chain disruptions, and extreme climate events – all  pressing global challenges. More than 100 judges globally evaluated the participating teams, and 16 teams were selected for the second round of the competition.  Each team displayed exceptional creativity and insight, coming up with innovative solutions for a future where hunger is no longer a global problem. What’s Next? The top three teams will receive online Customer Discovery training in March/April 2024 to develop their ideas further by testing through customer interviews. In addition, teams will tap into the resources of the SustainFood project, with the potential to connect with strategic partners, business mentors, and other students who help to turn your idea into a successful venture.

The Customer Discovery Lab at Penn State is a program designed to assist innovators and entrepreneurs in validating their business ideas. It is part of the programs offered by the Invent Penn State initiative at Penn State and is delivered by the Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (CEED) Center at Penn State Berks. The lab provides a series of workshops, which are described as “boot camp”-style training, aiming to help participants start customer discovery, learn about the commercialization process, network with experienced entrepreneurs, and determine if there is a market for their innovations. In the lab, participants receive guidance on developing a business model and validating it through a systematic process. They also get to interact and receive feedback from faculty experts as well as experienced entrepreneurs who act as mentors. SustainFood project adopted the program to identify innovative WEF based ideas and to turn them into viable solutions within their network.

We commend all participants for their passion and dedication and thank our judges for their dedication and insight.