News and Updates
Agroecology and Rural Livelihoods Group
Agroecology and Rural Livelihoods Groups (ARLG)/
Grupo de Agroecología y Medios de Vida Rural (GAM)
Our research and teaching efforts focus on developing and applying transdisciplinary approaches that analyze interactions between agriculture, livelihoods, and environmental conservation in tropical and temperate rural landscapes. Most of this work also utilizes a Participatory Action Research approach (PAR), in an effort to directly support conservation and rural development.
In Vermont
Our research in Vermont includes participatory farm mapping in the Champlain Valley as part of the USDA-funded landscape context study, and a long-term multidisciplinary initiative to work with farmers, agricultural service providers, researchers and community organizations to address the impacts of climate change in Vermont both through evaluation and implementation of on-farm climate change mitigation and adaptation practices.
In the Coffeelands
Members of the lab are currently working in Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Research activities in this area focus on the potential of agroecology to support farmer livelihoods and conserve ecosystem services in agroforestry-dominated landscapes. Most of our previous work focused on shade coffee, but we are expanding it to include other forms of agroforestry, such as homegardens, and food crops - including corn, beans and vegetables.
Recent Publications
The ARLG recently published a policy brief titled "Food Security and Smallholder Coffee Production: Current Issues and Future Directions" focusing on the conditions that lead to the prevalence of seasonal food insecurity in coffee-growing communities and calling for support for further empirical research on the topic.Download the pdf here.
Last modified January 29 2013 03:14 PM