With more than 3,000 students, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) in Ithaca, NY is the second largest undergraduate college at Cornell University and the third largest college of its kind in the United States. In national surveys we rank as the best college of agriculture and related sciences in the country. Our faculty and staff and teaching and research facilities are among the finest available anywhere, and the College's educational programs are carefully designed to ensure that every student's education is geared to contemporary, real-world issues. Through teaching, research, and extension -- the three components of our land-grant mission -- we strive to improve the nation's food supply and maintain its safety, to enhance the environment, and to help people improve their lives.
Our Roots
Agriculture was a major catalyst for Cornell University's creation in 1865. During the Civil War, federal land grants were given to the states to establish colleges of agriculture. Ezra Cornell and his friend Andrew Dickson White persuaded the New York State legislature to locate the state's new land-grant university in Ithaca. Cornell, a prosperous farmer, inventor, and businessman, donated a half-million dollars and contributed his own Ithaca farm for the campus.
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences evolved over the past century from the Department of Agriculture (1874), to the College of Agriculture (1888), to the New York State College of Agriculture (1904), to the present name (1971). These changes reflect our dedication to meeting society's ever-changing needs.
Originally, the College focused on improving farming practice with the formation before 1900 of the departments of entomology, agronomy, horticulture, dairy industry, and animal industry. Over the years, CALS departments and programs have established world-recognized teaching, research, and extension programs in agriculture, community, human, and rural development, environment and natural resources, food and nutrition, international programs, and life sciences. We are committed to achieving and maintaining excellence, relevance, and impact in each of these programmatic areas.
Planning for a Prosperous Future
Working with producers, the research, teaching, and extension efforts of the nation's land-grant colleges and universities have made American agriculture the most productive in the world. Today fewer than 2 percent of the U.S. population (less than 1 percent in New York State) produces enough food to feed all Americans and millions of people in other countries. Food processing, distribution, and retailing employ another 20 percent of New York's workforce. The benefits to the citizens of the state and the nation are far-reaching. In addition to having a diverse, plentiful, nutritious, and safe food supply, the average American household uses only 15 percent of its after-tax income to purchase food, the lowest percentage of any country. This outcome makes greater investment and growth in all other sectors of the economy possible. Still, agriculture and agricultural producers, as well as consumers, around the world face significant challenges in the next century.
During most of the College's history, agriculture, broadly defined and including related businesses, industries, and communities, has been our primary focus. During the next two decades, we will expand this focus to encompass the food and agriculture system, a theme common to our six programmatic areas that addresses many of the challenges facing our society. Having this overarching theme will not, however, preclude college faculty and staff from using their considerable talents to address other issues as needs or opportunities arise.
The College is proactively pursuing opportunities and making adjustments that will effectively meet the research, teaching, and extension/outreach needs of the food and agriculture system. The College will continue to be a world leader in agriculture, using a broad food systems approach that integrates the contributions of the biological, physical, and social sciences and incorporates programs once seen as adjuncts, like the social and environmental sciences, into equivalent roles. Through all of this, we will continue to enhance our current strength in linking departments, disciplines, and colleges to create the most responsive and effective programs.