College of Agriculture and Natural Resources announces new World Agriculture Center
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EmailMSU's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has announced the creation of the World Agriculture Center, a new initiative aimed at strengthening and expanding the college’s global engagement in agriculture, food systems and natural resources.
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University’s (MSU) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) has announced the creation of the World Agriculture Center (WorldAg Center), a new initiative aimed at strengthening and expanding the college’s global engagement and footprint in agriculture, food systems and natural resources.
The announcement was made during a networking lunch and reception on Thursday, January 29, 2026, attended by members of CANR International Programs, college leadership and CANR Global Scholars. The event marked a milestone in the college’s long-standing global mission and introduced a new approach to supporting and elevating global engagement.
“This is truly a historic day for our college,” said Karim Maredia, professor, assistant dean and director of the WorldAg Center. “The WorldAg Center will be a game-changer, providing an innovative platform to recognize and connect the impactful international work that our faculty, educators, outreach specialists and researchers are already doing around the world.”
The WorldAg Center will serve as a forward-looking hub for CANR’s global efforts, with a focus on innovation in research, education and outreach. Designed to respond to emerging challenges in Michigan and globally, the center will add value to the work of CANR departments, schools and units by fostering collaboration and advancing scholarship in a global context.
A foundational goal of the center is to enhance MSU’s global leadership and footprint by increasing visibility and expanding international partnerships. Through high-impact scholarship and strategic collaborations, the WorldAg Center aims to advance food security, economic growth and livelihoods and, in doing so, strengthen MSU and CANR’s global reputation and capacity to develop the next generation of leaders.
Matt Daum, associate provost and dean of CANR, emphasized the center’s importance amid shifting resources and global challenges.
“This center recognizes the incredible international work already happening across the college while creating new opportunities to expand our global engagement,” said Daum. “Even in an era of uncertainty, CANR remains deeply committed to global engagement. The WorldAg Center will elevate that exemplary work and strengthen our visibility and footprint worldwide.”
International engagement has been a hallmark of CANR for more than 60 years, beginning with MSU’s early global partnerships and evolving into today’s faculty-driven international programs. Building on that foundation, CANR’s global engagement now focuses on climate-resilient food systems, food and nutritional security, agricultural policy, natural resources management and emerging technologies and innovations.
Through the WorldAg Center, CANR plans to pursue more long-term, equitable institutional partnerships and expand impactful engagement beyond its strong foundation in Africa and Asia into additional regions of the world. The center will also support efforts to diversify funding sources, building on recently launched endowments for international programs to help sustain and grow global engagement.
As planning continues, college leaders view the WorldAg Center as both a reflection of CANR’s global legacy and a strategic investment in the future, advancing MSU’s long-term vision and contributing to improved food security, economic growth, livelihoods and quality of life in Michigan and around the world.
“The work is already happening,” said Maredia. “The WorldAg Center gives us the structure and visibility to connect those efforts and amplify their impact for decades to come.”
