In this series, we're sitting down with Swette Center affiliated faculty to catch up on food systems, innovation, and what makes a good meal. See the rest of the series on our Faculty Profiles page.
Read on for an interview with Angelia Seyfferth, Professor in the School of Life Sciences.
How did you become interested in food systems?
I've always loved food, but I actually went to school to study environmental chemistry, and I discovered soil science in the latter part of my undergraduate studies. When I went on to graduate school, I really wanted to dig deeper into soil science, and I specifically became interested in phytoremediation (cleaning up contaminants using plants).
Once I started researching that topic, I realized that, on the flip side, it’s possible for metal and organic contaminants that are present in the soil to get into food crops. That provides a pathway for human ingestion of those contaminants, and then they can cause disease or toxicity. I became fascinated by the idea of using the science that I was learning to prevent those contaminants from making their way into our food, and ultimately realized that it's not just about the plants and contaminants, but also farmers and food imports—so thinking about this problem really involves the whole food system.
Can you share a glimpse of your current research and how it relates to food systems transformation?
I work on a couple of food-related projects right now that are all looking at the soil-plant interface. I have other projects that are more about nutrient cycling and not related to food, but my main research involves trying to understand how contaminants like arsenic, or cadmium, or lead move from the soil into edible foods, especially when it comes to foods that are intended for infants and young children. There's a lot of evidence that suggests early exposure to these contaminants can cause disease later in life.
I've been working on the relationship between arsenic and rice for over 15 years. I've also recently started working on cadmium, which is typically an issue in spinach, and lead, which is typically an issue in sweet potato. One of the most important things I want to teach people is that not all contaminants and plants behave the same. There are reasons why some contaminants can make their way into certain parts of the plants that we eat, and why others can't, so we try to understand how it happens in order to devise solutions. I’ve been working with farmers to think about ways to alter some of their practices, like adding soil amendments or switching irrigation methods—essentially using the soil chemistry to minimize the concentrations of those contaminants in the food.
What’s an innovation in food systems you’re excited about?
I really get tired of people pointing the finger at the farmer for doing the wrong thing. Thankfully, I’m starting to see more appreciation for the fact that many farmers are scientists. They might not have a PhD, but they're making observations, they're often doing experiments on their land, and ultimately, they want to do the right thing. They want to provide food and fiber in ways that protect the land to be passed down to future generations. I think it is a sort of innovation to recognize that solutions should be more of a partnership between scientists and farmers. I like the idea that there can be an even exchange of information that goes in both directions. This also helps us think practically about what's feasible for farmers to do. We can't create solutions that would be too expensive for them to implement. I’ve already seen some growers moving away from certain crops because they just can't economically minimize the level of a particular metal in food, and ultimately, that just means less food for people. So, we need to focus on solutions that will increase the bottom line for the farmer and also incentivize them to use it. That means they need to be cheap, need to be easy, and need to be able to be implemented and interpreted by non-specialists. Advancing this goal is, to me, a great innovation.
What’s your favorite weeknight meal?
My husband makes this amazing risotto with chanterelle mushrooms using the Insta Pot, and I just can't get enough of it. When chanterelles are available, and in season, it is one of the best weeknight meals. One of my faves!