Agriculture isn’t always at the top of the list when it comes to talking about STEM education for grades K-12 but a recent paper published by the AGree Food and Agriculture policy center, directly links the two in perfect harmony.

“While applauding renewed interest in attracting young people to careers in science and technology, known as STEM disciplines, the paper also suggests that U.S. competitiveness would be well-served by linking food and Ag education to STEM programs,” according to Farm Futures.

“Food and Agriculture Education in the United States” is research paper published by AGree that is heavily cited throughout the Farm Futures report. There are often many conversations about the tech, engineering and mathematical aspects of STEM learning which all contain aspects of science.

However, agriculture also falls hand in hand with STEM learning, whether it’s the science behind farming itself, engineering and programming new technology to increase the efficiency of farming, or developing the mathematical concepts necessary to help engineer the new technology, it’s clear that agriculture has a heavy involvement with STEM, making it necessary to “boost the lagging K-12 Ag education,” as Farm Futures put it.

“The U.S. agricultural sector needs to do a better job of making the case that these two sets of demands are in fact linked, that the U.S. economy will prosper with strong productivity gains in both the agricultural and industrial sectors with better trained professionals, and that work must begin in elementary and secondary schooling and include food-related as well as agriculture-related topics,” said the AGree research paper.

In addition to STEM involvement, there are four other ways to boost K-12 ag education that are outlined in the Farm Futures report. Starting a ranking system, initiating “Perkins Plus,” incorporating the National USDA survey on Ag literacy and finally an overall committee review of the national Ag education are ways that Farm Futures believes agriculture education can be enhanced in grades K-12.

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Article by Navindra Persaud, Education World Contributor