In the Odum School of Ecology, we have students and faculty who excel in fundamental research. From understanding the dynamics of invertebrate communities in our oceans to the role of ecosystem subsidies in population change, our community of scholars work at the cutting edge of scientific discovery. Moreover, what makes ecology such an important discipline is that the discoveries that we make in the lab and field today are critical to addressing many of the greatest challenges facing society.

This was clearly on display on March 12th, when the Odum School hosted a screening of the documentary Food and Country at Ciné Athens.  The documentary, made during the Covid-19 pandemic, lays bare the fragility of the U.S. food system and calls for a fundamental change in how we grow, distribute and finance the food that we eat.

In ecology, we consider an ecosystem “resilient” when it continues to function largely unchanged after a significant disturbance. We know, for example, that plant communities that support a diversity of pollinator species are more likely to persist after major disturbance than are pollinator-impoverished communities. The “disturbance” of Covid-19 sent shockwaves through the U.S. food system that highlighted its lack of resilience. On March 12th, we learned from four expert panel members—Will Harris, Laura Turner Seydel, Rashe Malcolm, and John Isakson—why the U.S. food system is so fragile and what we might do to increase its resilience.

The documentary and the panel members converged on some key ideas: (i) diverse terrestrial and marine ecosystems can supply abundant and nutritious food, (ii) more equitable production and distribution of that food would benefit farming families and consumers alike, and (iii) there is a direct link between healthy ecosystems and human health through the provision of nutritious food.

Where does student and faculty research in the Odum School come into this picture? For decades, we have studied the ecological and evolutionary processes that generate and maintain biological diversity. Our work informs how agroecological systems, from marine kelp farms to South Georgia cattle ranches, can generate and maintain a diversity of species that support high-quality food production. Agroecology as a discipline has its “roots” in the Odum School, where pioneers like Dave Coleman, Dac Crossley, Paul Hendrix, Carl Jordan and their students untangled the mechanisms underlying soil fertility, crop production and sustainable pest management. Eschewing artificial inputs, they laid the groundwork for the regenerative agriculture movement of today that relies on natural recycling of nutrients. In aquatic systems, fundamental research at UGA that began with Gene Odum and Larry Pomeroy on Sapelo Island helps us to understand the seasonal availability of coastal nutrients, their impact on marine communities, and the consequences for the diversity and productivity of ocean systems. Their legacy continues today in the work of Jeb Byers, Craig Osenberg, John Wares and their students, who continue to solve the mysteries of marine resilience.

If you haven’t seen the documentary Food and Country, I highly recommend it. At times devastating and at times uplifting, it will change how you view the food that you buy and from whom you buy it. In the Odum School, we remain committed to studying the fundamental forces that support ecosystem resilience, and applying our findings to support a resilient U.S. food system.