The Sustainable Agriculture Resource Consortium (SARC) is a program in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at Cal Poly dedicated to advancing sustainable food and agriculture systems through education, demonstration of sustainable agricultural practices, investigation, and facilitation of collaborative efforts for sustainability, both on campus and in our community.
Above all, the SARC is a network of individuals interested in sustainable agriculture. SARC programs provide a forum in which people share ideas on how we can strengthen the sustainability of our food and agricultural system. For an 'overview' of how SARC programs are focused and structured, please visit SARC Programs.
The concept of “sustainable agriculture” has been developed and embraced by a cross-section of experts from many different disciplines. It is commonly understood to include three main goals: environmental health, economic viability and social responsibility in the long term. In other words, a sustainable food and agricultural system is one which is ecologically vital, profitable, just for all involved, and humane. A truly sustainable system fully meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
On April 23, 2004, Cal Poly joined over three hundred universities in signing the Talloires Declaration. President Warren J. Baker signed the 10-point pledge to make the campus a place where sustainable resource use and environmental protection are practiced, improved and taught. Baker noted, “As a polytechnic university, Cal Poly is uniquely positioned to focus the attention of our many disciplines on environmental responsibility. We are educating California’s future leaders, and we have a responsibility to make sure they graduate with a high level of environmental literacy.” The SARC supports these efforts for sustainability.
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