Aaron Iverson is currently a post-doc researcher at Cornell University focused on agroecology and maximizing ecosystem services through agricultural landscapes.
Each month, Y.E.C.A. is recognizing a young Christian in this country who is striving to live out what Jesus said was most important: loving God fully and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Climate change is already impacting our neighbors and God’s creation here in the United States and around the world, and we believe God is calling us to faithful action and witness in the midst of the current climate crisis.
Aaron sits at the nexus of caring for creation and social justice by promoting sustainable production, conservation, and biodiversity at the local farm scale. He says, “We currently pitch humans as part of the problem, but they should be a part of the solution. My goal is to design more sustainable systems that promote ecological diversity.” Aaron is particularly passionate about the issue of globalization and the impact that industrial agriculture has on farmers across the world. He continued, “I want to be a voice for farmers being left behind by big agriculture.” For his PhD degree, Aaron worked with coffee farmers across Honduras, and his current work is being funded by the Nature Conservancy.
“When I first got interested in agroecology while in Honduras, I started to think about what it means to care for a global neighbor. We are called to care for this world, and I have worked to cultivate this relationship throughout my career trajectory.” He continued, “My faith is integral to my career, and agroecology matched my interests well. I believe God instilled those interests, so I have tried to bring them to fruition. We love God by caring for His world, and we love our neighbor also by caring for the world that supports our local and global neighbors.” Aaron’s passions are firmly rooted in Matthew 22: 36-40.