Aug 11, 2020

Valent USA, National FFA Organization partner for sustainable agriculture education

Valent U.S.A. has partnered with the National FFA Organization to provide teachers across the United States with a first-of-its-kind “Sustainability in Agriculture Lesson Series.”

Available through FFA’s educator resources platform, the curriculum is a free resource agriculture teachers can use both in-classroom and within distance learning environments, a news release stated

Inspired by a need from agriculture educators, a Valent/FFA team developed eight lesson plans that enable middle and high school students to become familiar with sustainable agriculture, explore different sustainability processes and practices, learn about emerging trends in the food value chain and prepare them to be educated agricultural leaders and consumers of tomorrow.

Teachers right now need innovation, technology and sustainability at the forefront of their lessons,” said Megan McGrady, senior education consultant in FFA’s programs and events division. “As future growers and consumers, students need to know how it applies to the industry and primes them to potentially work in sustainability in the future. This lesson plan gives teachers the tools to talk about the importance of sustainability and what it means for the future of agriculture.”

Understanding sustainability gives students perspective and – ultimately – makes them better consumers. These lesson plans discuss the choices and decisions farmers make daily on their operations.

“We are proud of our nearly 20-year partnership with National FFA and our shared goal to cultivate bright, innovative leaders in agriculture” said Matt Plitt, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Valent U.S.A. “We’re excited about this latest collaboration to equip teachers with the tools they need to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities in sustainable agriculture.”

Valent U.S.A., and its parent company Sumitomo Chemical, have a long-standing commitment to sustainability. The company’s approach is linked to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 4, Quality Education. This global goal seeks to increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, made possible by agricultural education.

By educating agriculture students on sustainability at a young age, together, Valent and FFA strive to make students agriculturally literate for life.

 The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to more than 700,000 student members who belong to one of the more than 8,600 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization is also supported by more than 8 million alumni and supporters throughout the U.S.

Valent U.S.A. LLC, headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., develops and markets products in the United States, Canada and Mexico that advance sustainable agriculture, protect crops, enhance crop yields, improve food quality, beautify the environment and safeguard public health.

For more information visit valent.com.