January 27, 2025 — A UF/IFAS assistant professor has been selected by the U.S. Sec. of Agriculture for a USDA federal advisory committee to provide guidance for supporting urban agriculture and innovative production across the U.S. Catherine Campbell, an assistant professor in the UF/IFAS family, youth and community sciences department, was recently chosen for the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee.
The 3-year appointment positions Campbell in an advisory role to – along with 11 other committee members – provide the Secretary of Agriculture with evidence-based information to inform regulations, laws and other decisions related to agriculture.
“Dr. Campbell’s selection for this USDA committee is a testament to UF/IFAS’ leadership in innovative and urban agriculture spaces, and her expertise related to food systems and community health make her uniquely qualified for this honor,” said Rob Gilbert, UF/IFAS dean for research and executive director for academic affairs.
The committee’s role is to provide advice on the development of policies and outreach that could benefit urban, indoor and innovative agricultural production practices. The committee also advises on barriers to urban agriculture.
The committee’s area of expertise spans production, processing, distribution and sale of agriculture products within urban and suburban areas, such as community gardens, bee keeping, backyard chicken keeping, farmer’s markets, Community Supported Agriculture, hydroponics and aquaculture. The innovation aspect of the committee includes areas like artificial intelligence and other high-tech endeavors.
“This is It’s a tremendous honor. It is a significant opportunity for the University of Florida, IFAS, Extension, the state of Florida to have a national platform,” Campbell said. “Florida is at the forefront of the urbanization trend that’s happening across the U.S. The challenges we face here serve as a valuable preview for the rest of the
country.”
She said the committee will tackle subjects like food system resilience and food security.
“We’re being given an opportunity to share what we’ve learned and how we’re working through these urbanization trends,” she said.
She said industries like urban agriculture are uniquely tied to community health outcomes, and having access to nutritious, fresh food makes it easier for people to live healthy, full lives.
Campbell’s research has focused on understanding producers, consumers and local governments that interact with food systems, specifically urban food systems, and the behavior, motivation and decision-making that influence their decisions.
Her research has been funded in part by the UF/IFAS SEED-IT (Support for Emerging Enterprise Integration Teams) Program, which provides funding for collaborative Extension team efforts towards emerging enterprises.
ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences,
UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.