Gill Tract occupation offers solutions, UC Berkeley professor says

UC Berkeley professor of agroecology, College of Natural Resources, Miguel Altieri suggests the university should recognize the potential of urban agriculture to help solve problems of hunger and unemployment. In addition, he said, UC should launch a major research, education and extension program on urban agriculture involving local governments, urban farmers and the whole community in participatory ways, so as to address the real needs of the poor and hungry.

These suggestions were made in a op-ed Altieri penned after activists took over UC's Gill Tract on April 22. The group, calling itself "Occupy the Farm," established a camp and planted two acres of vegetable crops on Albany land owned by UC. Altieri's op-ed was published today in the Albany Patch.

The actions taken by the farm advocates, Altieri wrote, are consistent with the university’s education and public mission as a Land Grant institution with a Cooperative Extension function to promote community involvement and initiatives in agriculture.

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