About CARS
The Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability (CARS) was established in 2007 as a primary outlet of sustainability research and outreach in the UA Division of Agriculture. CARS is a state-wide center, largely self-funded, with the primary mission of enhancing and sustaining prosperity in rural Arkansas. The Center is a focal point for securing federal, state, industry and foundation funds for this mission. CARS will provide leadership in connecting these various efforts together for the objectives of the Center. The Center is administered through the Division of Agriculture, with a Steering Committee composed of senior faculty and department heads, and an Advisory Board. The Center is managed by Area Directors and supported by staff and technical experts as necessary to complete the Center’s objectives. The Center’s activities and priorities will be reviewed every three years by the Vice President for Agriculture, the Associate Vice President for Agriculture – Research, the Steering Committee and the Advisory Board.
About CARS
The Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability (CARS) was established in 2007 as a primary outlet of sustainability research and outreach in the UA Division of Agriculture. CARS is a state-wide center, largely self-funded, with the primary mission of enhancing and sustaining prosperity in rural Arkansas. The Center is a focal point for securing federal, state, industry and foundation funds for this mission. CARS will provide leadership in connecting these various efforts together for the objectives of the Center. The Center is administered through the Division of Agriculture, with a Steering Committee composed of senior faculty and department heads, and an Advisory Board. The Center is managed by Area Directors and supported by staff and technical experts as necessary to complete the Center’s objectives. The Center’s activities and priorities will be reviewed every three years by the Vice President for Agriculture, the Associate Vice President for Agriculture – Research, the Steering Committee and the Advisory Board.
Vision and Mission
Vision statement
The Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability will become a nationally and internationally recognized authority in promoting and implementing sustainable agriculture at both local, regional, and global levels.
Mission statement
The mission of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability (CARS) is to increase prosperity for rural Arkansas through sustainable practices. The Center provides leadership in Arkansas and the world in balancing the demands of community, agriculture and ecosystems in order to meet the needs of current generations while enhancing the opportunity for future generations to meet their needs.
Personnel
To successfully address the issues in agricultural sustainability requires a concerted effort from multiple disciplines to embrace the three principles defining sustainability, i.e., economics, environment, and social. Therefore, the CARS’s personnel consists of faculty members with expertise in many specialties who work together as a team to research solutions to a wide range of complex problems in the subject area by developing, improving, and implementing sustainable agricultural production practices. Not only is the team approach necessary, but it provides a unique and vital platform for each team member to make indispensable contributions to the overarching mission of CARS in research, teaching, and extension towards establishing sustainable agriculture in Arkansas.