Scott J. Peters, a prolific author, scholar-activist and Cornell University professor, has been appointed the School of Agriculture Endowed Chair in Agricultural Systems at the University of Minnesota. He will serve a two-year term conducting participatory action research into issues of justice, sovereignty, equity and sustainability in food and farming systems.

Peters, professor of global development at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will be jointly appointed along with his academic collaborator Daniel J. O’Connell, Ph.D. ’11. Peters will conduct his research from Minnesota and the Cornell campus.

As chairs, Peters and O'Connell will serve as a catalyst for innovation and progress on agricultural and rural issues within the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and the larger University of Minnesota, according to Helene Murray, executive director of the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MSI).

Peters and O’Connell will use participatory action research to illuminate, document, analyze and publicize core lessons from the MSI, a 35-year partnership between farmers, community activists, government and University of Minnesota faculty, staff, administrators and students.

Read more in the CALS Newsroom.

Matt Hayes is director for communications for Global Development in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.