Stevens Azima
Postdoctoral Associate
PRONUNCIATION St-ee-venns A-z-ee-m-a
PRONOUNS he/him
- Ph.D., Laval University
Food Systems Research Institute; Nutrition and Food Sciences
BIO
Dr. Stevens Azima is a postdoctoral research associate in the Niles Research Lab at the Food Systems Research Center (FSRC), University of Vermont (UVM). He earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Université Laval in 2023, with a dissertation on the economic and social impacts of local food systems in Canada. Originally from Haiti, where he studied agronomy, he moved to Canada in 2015 after receiving an Excellence Scholarship through the Canada’s Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program. There, he specialized in agricultural economics and developed a broad interdisciplinary skill set.
Dr. Azima brings to UVM an international and cross-disciplinary background in food systems research—particularly alternative food systems—as well as expertise in agricultural markets, experimental and behavioral economics, and public policy analysis across North America and the Caribbean. At UVM, over the next two years, his research will focus on Home and Wild Food Procurement (HWFP), including activities such as gardening, hunting, fishing, foraging, and raising animals for food. Often overlooked in mainstream food security debates, HWFP plays a vital role in the foodscapes of Northern New England.
In collaboration with his supervisor, Dr. Meredith Niles, his research will contribute to several core areas of FSRC’s agenda by:
- Benchmarking HWFP practices to assess their contribution to the region’s productive land base and food production goals;
- Evaluating their role in supporting food access during climate shocks;
- Identifying policy strategies that could expand access to HWFP among food-insecure and underserved populations.
Before joining UVM, Dr. Azima led or collaborated on a number of research projects, with results published in international journals such as Food Policy, Agriculture and Human Values, and the Journal of Rural Studies. He also regularly serves as a peer reviewer for leading journals. Deeply committed to open access and inclusive science, he believes stakeholder engagement is not only beneficial but essential to bridging the gap between research and society.
Dr. Azima’s academic excellence and leadership have been recognized with several honors, including:
- Finalist, Advanced Policy Analyst Program (APAP) – Government of Canada (2025)
- Excellence Scholarship, Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program – Université Laval | Government of Canada (2015)
- Leadership and Sustainable Development Scholarship – Université Laval (2015–2017)
- Excellence Scholarships from Hydro-Québec and La Financière agricole du Québec
- Achievement Scholarship, Agri-Food Economics and Consumer Sciences Department – Université Laval (2018)
He has taught courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels on topics such as comparative analysis of food and agricultural systems, experimental economics, and research methods, and he has supervised students at various academic stages. He is also a proud member of the Vermont Professionals of Color Network. When not in the office—often with a good cup of coffee in hand—or enjoying the UVM campus, Dr. Azima enjoys hiking, exploring the outdoors, and discovering new foods. He finds Vermont to be the perfect place for all three. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to connect or explore opportunities for collaboration.
Area(s) of expertise
Food systems; Local food systems; Home and Wild Food Procurement; Food security; Experimental Economics; New institutional economics; Agricultural Economics
Bio
Dr. Stevens Azima is a postdoctoral research associate in the Niles Research Lab at the Food Systems Research Center (FSRC), University of Vermont (UVM). He earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Université Laval in 2023, with a dissertation on the economic and social impacts of local food systems in Canada. Originally from Haiti, where he studied agronomy, he moved to Canada in 2015 after receiving an Excellence Scholarship through the Canada’s Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program. There, he specialized in agricultural economics and developed a broad interdisciplinary skill set.
Dr. Azima brings to UVM an international and cross-disciplinary background in food systems research—particularly alternative food systems—as well as expertise in agricultural markets, experimental and behavioral economics, and public policy analysis across North America and the Caribbean. At UVM, over the next two years, his research will focus on Home and Wild Food Procurement (HWFP), including activities such as gardening, hunting, fishing, foraging, and raising animals for food. Often overlooked in mainstream food security debates, HWFP plays a vital role in the foodscapes of Northern New England.
In collaboration with his supervisor, Dr. Meredith Niles, his research will contribute to several core areas of FSRC’s agenda by:
- Benchmarking HWFP practices to assess their contribution to the region’s productive land base and food production goals;
- Evaluating their role in supporting food access during climate shocks;
- Identifying policy strategies that could expand access to HWFP among food-insecure and underserved populations.
Before joining UVM, Dr. Azima led or collaborated on a number of research projects, with results published in international journals such as Food Policy, Agriculture and Human Values, and the Journal of Rural Studies. He also regularly serves as a peer reviewer for leading journals. Deeply committed to open access and inclusive science, he believes stakeholder engagement is not only beneficial but essential to bridging the gap between research and society.
Dr. Azima’s academic excellence and leadership have been recognized with several honors, including:
- Finalist, Advanced Policy Analyst Program (APAP) – Government of Canada (2025)
- Excellence Scholarship, Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program – Université Laval | Government of Canada (2015)
- Leadership and Sustainable Development Scholarship – Université Laval (2015–2017)
- Excellence Scholarships from Hydro-Québec and La Financière agricole du Québec
- Achievement Scholarship, Agri-Food Economics and Consumer Sciences Department – Université Laval (2018)
He has taught courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels on topics such as comparative analysis of food and agricultural systems, experimental economics, and research methods, and he has supervised students at various academic stages. He is also a proud member of the Vermont Professionals of Color Network. When not in the office—often with a good cup of coffee in hand—or enjoying the UVM campus, Dr. Azima enjoys hiking, exploring the outdoors, and discovering new foods. He finds Vermont to be the perfect place for all three. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to connect or explore opportunities for collaboration.
Areas of Expertise
Food systems; Local food systems; Home and Wild Food Procurement; Food security; Experimental Economics; New institutional economics; Agricultural Economics