max facts
Fitzwilliam Geographer
Wins Food Geographies Dissertation Prize
Cambridge graduate Hannah Gillie (Geography 2014) was
recently awarded first place in RGS-IBG Food Geographies
Undergraduate Dissertation Prize. Hannah’s dissertation, titled
“Neighbourhood to Agrihood: Exploring the extent to which
urban agriculture can support inclusive redevelopment in
Detroit,” impressed the panel in terms of its scope, ambitions,
and achievements, as well as the breadth of engagements
she achieved with research partners. The Food Geographies
Working Group aims to bring together geographers who study
all aspects of food, from across the breadth of geography’s
sub-disciplines, and to raise the profile of geography as a key
voice in food-related research, policy, knowledge, and action. In
her study, Hannah answers the question, “Detroit may be
America’s hub of urban agriculture, but what does this mean
for redevelopment in the city?” Hannah currently serves as
president of the Cambridge University Geographical Society.
— fitz.cam.ac.uk
Labor Shortage in Ag Fueling Technology
A severe labor shortage in the agriculture industry drove much
of the discussion at the 2017 Forbes AgTech Summit that was
held in downtown Salinas this summer. The summit, now in
its third year, is an annual event that brings together business
leaders and entrepreneurs
in agriculture and
technology. In a panel
discussion on the future
of agriculture, Bruce
Taylor, CEO of Taylor
Farms, one of North
America’s largest fresh
fruit and vegetable producers,
says the matter is critical. “It’s not
a shortage of labor; it’s no labor.
For the most part, the second-
generation folks here do not want
these field jobs and the current
labor force is aging. We have to
create tools that lead to better
jobs in our industry.” Brian Antle,
president of PlantTape USA,
agreed. “It’s no big secret …
We have a huge need for
labor and we are faced with
a labor force reaching
retirement age,” he says.
—newarkadvocate.com
28
tapped in