The WSU Graduate School will offer a certificate in sustainable agriculture to graduate students who want to research the viability of the environment in relation to food production.

The Faculty Senate approved the certificate in early October. Faculty and student groups together supported the proposed certificate in an effort to improve the university’s agricultural program options.

“We had a lot of requests from graduate students who wanted more programs in sustainable agriculture,” said Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, Biologically-Intensive Agriculture and Organic Farming coordinator and contributor to the development of the program.

The certificate is intended to improve the interdisciplinary aspect of agricultural research at the university while providing a background in environmental science and issues.

Students who participate in the program will gain a broad background in the study of environmental health and the processes and policies of agriculture.

“Sustainable agriculture focuses on using resources efficiently,” said Catherine Perillo, clinical assistant professor of crop and soil sciences.

The goal is to meet the agricultural goals of the present without jeopardizing the environmental needs of the future, she said.

The certificate program is open to all WSU graduate students from any field. Eligibility for the certificate requires students meet the prerequisites of the courses needed for the certificate.

“Students really need to start learning about the impacts of industrial agriculture,” education graduate student Kristen Koenig said. “There needs to be more emphasis on how we can make it more sustainable.”