Brittany Leggans' Research Plows Through Organic Farming

Organic food production is growing by leaps and bounds in the United States, and people are willing to pay premium prices for organic produce, meats, frozen meals and baked goods. Although it can supply food for niche markets, the question remains, can it feed a hungry world? "Right now, we produce way more than enough food to feed everyone in the world, but the problem lies in distribution; some countries have too much food and some don't have enough," so concludes Knox senior Brittan Leggans. Leggans is studying organic agriculture.

Funding for Leggans' project came from a Ford Fellowship grant and a Charles and Arvilla Timme Fellowship Award. And in it, Leggans examines the controversial topic of organic agriculture versus conventional. Organic production now takes place in well over 100 countries, so there definitely is a movement towards it. Leggans is examining how the topic relates to food security.

Organic farming will not make this issue go away and might even make it worse. "Studies have shown that we could produce enough food with organic farming, but we would be producing less food than we are today. That's going to drive up prices. Whether people have adequate resources to purchase adequate amounts of food is a bigger issue than, ‘Can we produce enough food?' And I don't think this is being considered in the debate over organic versus conventional farming," Leggans adds.

With wheat prices up 200 percent over the past two years, Leggans focused her research on this crop. "More people are hungry today than they have been for the past seven years because of this huge increase in price," she says.

Leggans says she has always had an interest in global issues, and that she came to Knox College because "it fosters a sense of social consciousness - an awareness of problems around the world." Tackling a double major in international relations and economics, her awareness of problems around the world has her planted in the middle of this food supply/food security research project.

She came to Knox ready to pursue Secondary Education and English but says she never took any classes because international studies and economics "got really interesting." But her Knox experience still held some surprises for her.

Recognizing Knox as an academically enriched school, Leggans says she was inspired by the sense of community on campus. "There isn't that sense of cut throat competitiveness among students here like there was at other schools I looked at. We recognize that we are all learning together, and I prospered in that."

She joined the Knox Fencing Club during her first year and currently holds a leadership position with the club. "Fencing is fun and something I would not have done if I had not come to Knox." The enthusiastic group practices three times a week. Depending on the demands of the availability of space in the T. Fleming Fieldhouse, the Fencing Club members might be found swashbuckling in front of the Auxiliary Gym or repairing blades or stitching equipment in different areas on campus.

Maybe someday organic farming will provide all of our food needs. But Leggans, who says coming to Knox has made her stronger in her beliefs and what she wants to get out of life, hopes her research will help feed a world population. "When I leave Knox, I will take this idea that we are all in this together. I am more aware of the social consciousness and awareness of the problems around the world and know that I am responsible to do something about it."