Abdullah Jaradat, a candidate to be the next director for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, highlighted the importance of diversity, sustainability and managing water supplies at an open forum held Monday morning.

Jaradat, who is currently working at the North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory, was the first of three candidates for the director position to host an open forum.

Jaradat said the function of the Leopold Center as an educational and developmental service provides important research to Iowa State.

“That’s what we need in this country: A culture of sustainability,” Jaradat said.

He said if he were to talk to someone in Syria, they would live that cultural sustainability.

Jaradat said the United States exported something close to $47 million of commodities at expense to its water and soil last year.

“We need to educate people on how to feed themselves,” Jaradat said.

He emphasized water needs to be used for food, feed, fuel and ecosystems.

“We know that we use approximately 70 percent of our fresh water use for agriculture. We can’t afford that anymore,” Jaradat said. “We need to balance water use for food, feed, fuel and natural ecosystems. We know that depriving the natural ecosystems from the balance of a healthy environment.”

He also talked about how Iowa needs to look at how climate change is going to impact it.

“Climate change has been happening for the past 10,000 years. … It has been increasing tremendously because of our lifestyle and the way we use energy,” Jaradat said. “Climate change is there and we have to be ready for it.”

Jaradat wants to promote diversity in two ways.

The first would be to diversify crops to fit local circumstances and preferences.

“You can’t force a farmer to do something. You have to prove to them what works, and what works on their land,” Jaradat said.

He said there is also a lot to learn through a diverse group of people and places.

“There is unity in diversity,” Jaradat said.

He said in order to be successful, there needs to be diversity in students, trainees, scientists, technicians, support staff and farmers.

Jaradat mentioned the 2012 Farm Bill and the Conservation Program Support act.

“The environmental incentives and Conservation Stewardship Act is a way the Leopold Center could capitalize,” Jaradat said.

He said the Leopold Center needs to put focus on engaging the public.

“Consumers are a major part of the decision making process,” Jaradat said. “And who are the consumers? All of us.”

The next open forum will be on Dec. 1, with Thanos Papanicolaou.