Historic $3 million endowment announced
Ricardo Salvador (left) and Chancellor Jim Oblinger confer at the Kellogg Foundation award announcement.
Photo by Becky Kirkland
Nearly 75 people packed into a conference room at UNC General Administration on a soggy fall day – Election Day, no less. They were there to celebrate a $3.15 million endowment from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, in support of the Center for Environmental Faming Systems (CEFS) and its efforts to a build a sustainable, community-based food economy statewide.
The first of its kind, the award will create two endowed chairs – one at N.C. State University and one at N.C. A&T State University – as well as support CEFS efforts to increase production, processing, distribution and consumption of local, sustainably raised foods in North Carolina.
“This is an historic day,” said Erskine Bowles, president of the UNC system. “We’ve never had a dual endowment in the university. This is also an excellent example of how sister institutions can work together for sustainable development all across North Carolina.”
The W.K. Kellogg Endowed Chair in Community Based Food Systems awards N.C. State and N.C. A&T State $1.575 million each.
“This award will make a real difference in the lives of the people of North Carolina, from farmers struggling with difficult economic times to consumers looking to put a healthy meal on the table,” said N.C. State Chancellor James L. Oblinger.
Ricardo Salvador, program director with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, described how the foundation is endowing chairs at select universities across the country, in an effort to establish a network of 14.
“We are extremely pleased to add N.C. A&T State and N.C. State to this peerless group of institutions that are leaders in the agricultural realm,” Salvador said. “N.C. A&T State and N.C. State have been leaders in community-based food systems.”
Speaking of the “precarious energy environment” in which we live and its interconnectedness to the global food supply, Salvador painted a picture of a very challenging – and critical – time for universities to make a difference.
“There is nothing more relevant that N.C. State and N.C. A&T State could be doing now,” he said. “That is what we are investing in. We envision a future food system that creates benefits fairly and in perpetuity for all.”
— Suzanne Stanard
The first of its kind, the award will create two endowed chairs – one at N.C. State University and one at N.C. A&T State University – as well as support CEFS efforts to increase production, processing, distribution and consumption of local, sustainably raised foods in North Carolina.
“This is an historic day,” said Erskine Bowles, president of the UNC system. “We’ve never had a dual endowment in the university. This is also an excellent example of how sister institutions can work together for sustainable development all across North Carolina.”
The W.K. Kellogg Endowed Chair in Community Based Food Systems awards N.C. State and N.C. A&T State $1.575 million each.
“This award will make a real difference in the lives of the people of North Carolina, from farmers struggling with difficult economic times to consumers looking to put a healthy meal on the table,” said N.C. State Chancellor James L. Oblinger.
Ricardo Salvador, program director with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, described how the foundation is endowing chairs at select universities across the country, in an effort to establish a network of 14.
“We are extremely pleased to add N.C. A&T State and N.C. State to this peerless group of institutions that are leaders in the agricultural realm,” Salvador said. “N.C. A&T State and N.C. State have been leaders in community-based food systems.”
Speaking of the “precarious energy environment” in which we live and its interconnectedness to the global food supply, Salvador painted a picture of a very challenging – and critical – time for universities to make a difference.
“There is nothing more relevant that N.C. State and N.C. A&T State could be doing now,” he said. “That is what we are investing in. We envision a future food system that creates benefits fairly and in perpetuity for all.”
— Suzanne Stanard