T’25s Morgan Rennekamp and Naomi Eisenberg reflect on their Tuck Global Insight Expedition (GIX) experiences in France. They joined Professor Bill Martin to explore sustainability practices in French agriculture, examine the relationship between food security and the economy, and witness how farms honor traditions while also adapting to change.
What site visits, tours, meetings, and/or people were most impactful for you during the GIX?
Before the GIX to France, my understanding of European agriculture was limited. What surprised me most was the severity of the generational crisis in farming—nearly 50 percent of French farmers are set to retire within the next decade, with fewer young people stepping in to replace them. One of the most impactful moments was visiting the family farm of Tuck graduate Nick, whose story brought this issue to life. He shared how his nieces and nephews were discouraged from continuing the family legacy after seeing their father’s relentless work and financial struggles. It was sobering to realize how little reward such hard labor yields. At the same time, a central question emerged throughout the trip: how can a country balance food security with the economic realities that make farming increasingly unsustainable?
Students visit a 400-year-old family farm in France, learning about the generational challenges the owners face.
What is a key takeaway from this experience? What have you learned?
My biggest takeaway was a deeper awareness of food security’s role in national stability. As populations grow, producing more food while reducing waste is critical. Yet, sustainable farming is nearly impossible when farmers must keep prices low while struggling to remain profitable. It’s easy to place the burden on them, but the real question is: what happens if they leave the profession altogether?
Do you think this experience will be valuable for your post-Tuck career? How and why?
This GIX was transformative. It challenged my understanding of agriculture, deepened my appreciation for food security, and reinforced my sense of purpose as a leader. More than just a trip, it was a lesson in resilience, history, and the responsibility we all share in sustaining what matters most.
Morgan grew up in Beaverton, Oregon, and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2016 with a B.S. in Psychology. Upon graduation, she was commissioned in the U.S. Army as an Adjutant General (AG) Officer and attended the Adjutant General Basic Officer Leadership Course where she graduated as the Distinguished Honor Graduate. Morgan was then assigned to Wheeler Army Airfield, HI where she served as the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade Deputy Brigade S1 and the Squadron S1 for the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25 CAB. She was then assigned to Schofield Barracks, HI, and served as the Battalion S1 for the 65th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2IBCT. In 2021 she attended the Adjutant General Captains Career Course where she graduated as the Distinguished Honor Graduate of her class. She was then assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment in Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA where she served as the Rear Detachment Commander. Morgan is still on Active Duty and will return to the Army and be stationed as an Assistant Professor of Management at the United States Military Academy upon graduating from Tuck. Morgan is married to CPT Collin Pratt of St Louis, MO. Morgan enjoys baking, outdoor activities, and movies.
What interested you about the GIX location and topic?
As a joint MBA/MPA student at Tuck and the Harvard Kennedy School, I’ve spent most of my graduate school years focused on health care—examining how the American health care ecosystem shapes access, dignity, and outcomes. But when I saw the opportunity to study food and agriculture through Tuck’s Global Insight Expedition (GIX), I felt drawn to it. I had never spent real time exploring the industry that sits at the foundation of health itself, and I was eager to step outside of my usual lane to see how another system functions—and how people within it make choices about sustainability, access, and the future.
What was your first impression of your host location?
One of the first mornings in Paris, I walked around the city before sunrise (very jetlagged!) and watched the city wake up. The small bakeries were the first to twinkle their lights, even before the sun rose. Mixed with the ever-present Parisian cigarette smoke was the unmistakable scent of bread, butter, and croissants being prepared for what I quickly realized was just an ordinary morning. As the grandchild of Jewish bakers—and a lover of all baked goods—I was in paradise. I wandered through a handful of bakeries. All were small, hole-in-wall, shops with ovens visible from the counters. I watched the hurried bakers in the back and the beautiful placement of the finished goods. It was a delightful and filling way to enter into the Parisian experience.
What I noticed from the beginning is that there was a reverence for food here that I hadn’t seen before—not just in the way people spoke about it, but in how seamlessly fresh, high-quality ingredients were woven into daily life. Every neighborhood had markets, and access to produce and fresh bread wasn’t a privilege but an expectation. As someone who has studied food deserts and their impact on public health in the U.S., I couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast, and I did not take for granted our ability to try so many fresh ingredients throughout our trip.
What site visits, tours, meetings, and/or people were most impactful for you during the GIX?
As we moved beyond Paris, I started to see how questions of a changing economy and agricultural ecosystem played out across different parts of the food system. At a 400-year-old family farm, we met the grandfather of a T’14, who had worked on the farm since childhood, navigating the challenges of generational transition. Their farm had survived revolutions, wars, and economic downturns, yet the most pressing challenge was whether the next generation could make it work. They spoke about government subsidies, shifting consumer preferences, and the tension between tradition and financial sustainability. The land was beautiful, but the future was uncertain.
In stark contrast, we visited Wesh Grow, a vertical farm in the basement of a converted underground parking garage. In this unexpected space, they were growing delicate microgreens, edible flowers, and fresh herbs—farming without soil, sunlight, or vast stretches of land. It was the opposite of the family farm, yet it carried the same sense of experimentation and resilience. Across our visits, I saw the same question being asked in different ways: what does it mean to preserve something while it’s still evolving? How do you honor tradition while making it viable for the next generation?
I came to this GIX as someone who had never studied food and agriculture in depth, but I left seeing its connections to the work I’ve always cared about. Food, like health care, is deeply personal, yet shaped by forces much larger than the individual—policy, economics, geography, and history. And like health care, it’s an industry in flux.
One of my biggest takeaways was that reverence alone isn’t enough to sustain an industry. The French food system is admired for its quality and accessibility, but every person we met—farmers, chefs, policymakers—spoke about how it’s changing. The traditions that make French food culture unique are being tested by global supply chains, shifting diets, and climate change. Adaptation isn’t optional, but the question is: how do you adapt without losing the soul of what makes something special?
Members of the France GIX enjoy a scenic ride and pose in front of the Eiffel Tower.
What should prospective students know about the GIX and/or TuckGO requirements?
For prospective students considering a GIX, I have two thoughts. The first is to use GIX as a chance to step outside your usual world. I could have chosen a GIX focused on health care, but instead, I chose something that stretched me. If there’s an industry, a region, or a topic that has always piqued your curiosity, this is the time to explore it.
The second is that GIX isn’t just about the industry you’re studying—it’s about how you engage with a new place and find a connection to it. One of the most meaningful experiences I had was my solo excursion to the old Jewish quarter in Paris on a free afternoon. I wandered through the streets and shops named Finkelstein, Benjamin, and Schwartz. I looked at the plaques in Yiddish and the Hebrew bookshops with walls lined still with menorahs. I heard a version of French Yiddish spoken in cafes that I had never heard before but could still loosely understand. I felt deeply connected to a place I had never been because I intentionally sought that connection.
I came to France expecting to learn about food and wine (and hoping to enjoy some too!), but I left thinking about change and tradition, and how every industry—whether food, health care, or something else—is shaped by the tension between the two.
Naomi Eisenberg is currently pursuing a joint MBA/ MPA at The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Naomi's professional background is in both management consulting at The Bridgespan Group, as well as in strategy and operations at multiple healthcare startups. While at the Kennedy School, she supported the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services as a digital services team and as a product manager. She interned with Innospark Ventures this summer, a VC fund investing in health care AI at seed and series A companies. Naomi has extensive experience managing the operations of healthcare workflows as well as managing partnerships between private sector vendors and public sector agencies. As an avid hiker, she spends much of her time in the Upper Valley exploring the White Mountains with her black lab and fiancé.
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