The Food Distribution Research Society (FDRS) has awarded the 2025 Best Research Article honor to University of Vermont faculty member Dr. Qingbin Wang, a professor in the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics (CDAE), and his coauthors, Mark Cannella of UVM Extension and Yang Zou at Nankai University in China, for their paper “China’s Emerging Market for Maple Syrup: Opportunities and Challenges for U.S. Exports,” published in the Journal of Food Distribution Research.

Supported by significant grants from the USDA and UVM Food Systems Research Institute (FSRI), Wang and Cannella’s projects move beyond production to examine market, economic, and policy dimensions of the maple syrup industry. Their goal is for UVM to become a leader in those dimensions, complementing the UVM Proctor Maple Research Center’s leadership in maple production research.

“This recognition reflects the progress of our team in positioning UVM as a leader in the socioeconomic dimension research and outreach of maple syrup,” said Dr. Wang. As commented by Professor Kirk Dombrowski, UVM’s Vice President for Research and Economic Development, this award is a “good outcome for UVM and Vermont.”

Dr. Wang has been a faculty member in UVM’s CDAE since 1995. His expertise spans microeconomics, market analysis, econometrics, and international trade. His current research focuses on providing economic and market information to farmers, rural communities, small businesses, and policymakers through applied research and outreach activities.