My current research centers on human responses to climate and other environmental changes. In Belize, I am involved in research examining how farmers and ranchers of varied ethnic backgrounds are currently (and in the past) responding to environment...More
My current research centers on human responses to climate and other environmental changes. In Belize, I am involved in research examining how farmers and ranchers of varied ethnic backgrounds are currently (and in the past) responding to environmental changes, specifically in reference to water management for their agricultural production and how this plays out in terms of food and nutritional security and effects on their health status. I also recently completed a two-year field study (funded by NOAA) in several coastal communities in the Meso-American Barrier Reef System to examine resilience of vulnerable households to climate-related events and shocks. These data are being used to develop a household-level Resiliency Index. The project continues fieldwork this year to facilitate new coalitions within and outside communities to identify linkages that could be enhanced to increase resilience at household and community levels. I am also working in the Republic of Georgia to explore linkages between the seemingly disparate goals of resource conservation, protection of cultural diversity, and the development of a tourism industry. I continue to interview Texas wheat farmers to document their awareness and knowledge of climate change and corresponding adjustments they may be making in their farming systems as a colleague of mine and I have a book released in July 2019 called In Defense of Farmers: The Future of Agriculture in the Shadow of Corporate Power (UNP). I also serve as a consultant for several NGOs including TANGO (Technical Assistance NGO) International, Save the Children, CARE, World Vision, and the World Food Programme on various programs and projects over the last twenty years. I recently completed a review of CARE's new Rapid Environmental Assessment and am currently writing Guidelines for WFP addressing sustainability issues around food aid programming for the use of food aid to address impacts of HIV/AIDS in eastern and southern Africa.
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On Sustainability
