Policy and Partnerships

The Gund Institute for Environment accelerates real-world solutions for society by connecting leading researchers with leaders in government, business, and NGOs.

By the numbers

  • 43 Partnerships across academia, government, NGOs, and business
  • 10 Externally funded projects
  • 13 Partnerships providing direct benefits to Vermonters

Powered by Partnerships

Through policy outreach, we inform policy and management practices and enhance the role of science in decision-making. We work closely with our partners to understand global environmental challenges, develop innovative solutions, and guide smarter decisions.

Our policy outreach program is designed to:

  • Connect Gund experts with decision-makers so that Gund research has broader impacts;
  • ​Align research efforts with the scientific needs of decision-makers;
  • ​Build capacity among Gund scholars to engage effectively with policymakers.

Innovative research, solutions, and expertise

With more than 70 faculty experts, our research has informed state and national policy on a wide range of topics, including clean air, water quality, forest management, flood risk reduction, economic progress, and endangered species. Gund Policy Briefs provide research insights into pressing issues and frame policy thinking and action.

We develop partnerships that connect research with impact. Our approach in partnerships prioritizes trust, respect, and clear communication. We work with stakeholders that have diverse concerns, values, and goals, such as locally-based refugee populations, state land trusts, federal policymakers, and global companies.

Selected Case Stuides

Ben and Jerry's

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The Gund Institute for Environment at UVM and Ben & Jerry’s maintain a longstanding partnership focused on tackling critical environmental issues, particularly within the agriculture and food system sectors. Their collaboration emphasizes sustainable agriculture practices and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the dairy industry—a key component of both Vermont’s economy and Ben & Jerry’s supply chain. By jointly pursuing practical and scalable solutions, the partnership contributes to more sustainable food production models with the potential to impact both local communities and global environmental outcomes.  

Research projects: 

The State of Soil Health in Vermont, supported by Ben & Jerry’s, provided crucial new data for farmers and leaders, and helped shape the states carbon budget. Key findings include: 

  • Vermont’s soil is healthier than U.S. average. 

  • Soil health on Vermont farms varies widely (1.5-9% organic matter). 

  • Improved management practices on Vermont farms could sequester the equivalent of 200,000 vehicle emissions annually (937,599 MT CO2e). 

  • Protecting and incentivizing soil carbon storage could help meet Vermont's carbon reduction targets. 

  • Carbon storage is higher in pasture and hay fields, lower in corn and vegetable fields. 

  • Methods to improve soil carbon include adding cover crops, manure or compost, and replacing annual crops with perennial crops 

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets (VAAFM)

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The Gund Institute for Environment at UVM works with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) to support innovative approaches to water quality challenges in Vermont. This collaboration combines Gund’s expertise in natural resource valuation and payment for ecosystem services with VAAFM’s leadership in administering water quality incentive programs across the state. Gund provides actionable knowledge to inform practical and equitable policies, leading to cleaner waterways and healthier communities, benefiting Vermonters from all walks of life. 

Research Projects: 

Evaluation of the Vermont Pay for Performance Program (VPFP), conducted in collaboration with the Water Quality Division of VAAFM provided a thorough analysis of the program’s performance during its pilot phase.  

  • Social analysis capturing the experiences and perspectives of farmers who participated in the program as well as technical assistance advisors.  

  • Economic analysis detailing VPFP’s cost effectiveness in achieving its goals. 

  • Landscape analysis of comparable payment for ecosystem services initiatives to identify program design qualities and best practices.  

  • Report card grading VPFP’s performance in achieving its stated goals accompanied by robust rationale.  

At the request of VAAFM, the Gund Institute led technical work for the Payment for Ecosystem Services and Soil Health Working Group, which included surveys and interviews with Vermont farmers and economic analyses of soil health management scenarios. This suite of work produced 11 discrete reports, engaged content experts from across UVM and the state, and informed the current Vermont Famers Ecosystem Stewardship Program. 

Gund Reports & Policy Briefs

Climate Solutions

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2014 — Considering Vermont's Future in a Changing Climate: The First Vermont Climate Assessment, Gillian L. Galford, Ann Hoogenboom, Sam Carlson, Sarah Ford, Julie Nash, Elizabeth Palchak, Sarah Pears, Kristen Underwood, and Daniel V. Baker

Equity & Justice

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2022 — A 2022 Assessment of Food Security and Health Outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ashley C. McCarthy, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Sam Bliss, Jennifer Laurent, Jonathan Malacarne, Scott Merrill, Rachel E. Schattman, Kathryn Yerxa, and Meredith T. Niles

2020 — Food Access Through School Meals and Food Pantries During COVID-19: Early Findings from Vermont, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, Roni Neff, and Meredith T. Niles

2020 — COVID-19 Impacts on Food Security and Systems: A Third Survey of Vermonters, Meredith T. Niles, Emily H. Belarmino, and Farryl Bertmann

2020 — The Impact of Coronavirus on Vermonters Experiencing Food Insecurity, Meredith T. Niles, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Morgan, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, and Roni Neff

2020 — Food Access and Security During Coronavirus: A Vermont Study, Meredith T. Niles, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Morgan, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, and Roni Neff

2020 — COVID-19 and Food Insecurity Impacts: A Follow Up Vermont Study, Meredith T. Niles, Anna L. Josephson, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, and Roni Neff

Health & Well-being

Resilient Communities

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2021 — Food Security Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Following a Group of Vermonters During the First Year, Ashley C. McCarthy, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, and Meredith T. Niles

2021 — Food Insecurity Prevalence Across Diverse Sites During COVID-19: A Year of Comprehensive Data, Meredith T. Niles, Francesco Acciai, Deanne Allegro, Alyssa Beavers, Emily H. Belarmino, Farryl Bertmann, Erin Biehl, Jessica Bishop-Royse, Brianna Bradley, Barrett P. Brenton, James Buszkiewicz, Brittney N. Cavaliere, Young Cho, Eric Clark, Lauren Clay, Kathryn Coakley, Jeanne Coffin-Schmitt, Sarah M. Collier, Casey Coombs, Marcelle Dougan, Anne Dressel, Adam Drewnowski, Tom Evans, Beth Feingold, Kathryn J. Fiorella, Katie Funderburk, Preety Gadhoke, Diana Gonzales-Pacheco, Amelia Greiner Safi, Sen Gu, Karla Hanson, Amy Harley, Kaitlyn Harper, Alan Ismach, Anna L. Josephson, Linnea Laestadius, Heidi LeBlanc, Laura R. Lewis, Michelle Litton, Katie S. Martin, John Mazzeo, Scott Merrill, Roni Neff, Esther Nguyen, Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, Abigail Orbe, Jennifer J. Otten, Sondra Parmer, Salome Pemberton, Giselle Pignotti, Zain Al Abdeen Qusair, Victoria Rivkina, Joelle Robinson, Stephanie Rogus, Chelsea M. Rose, Saloumeh Sadeghzadeh, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Rachel Schattman, Brinda Sivaramakrishnan, McKenna Voorhees, Kate Yerxa, and Rachel Zack

2021 — Home Food Production and Food Security Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, Meredith T. Niles, Mattie Alpaugh, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Sam Bliss, Jennifer Laurent, Jonathan Malacarne, Ashley McCarthy, Scott Merrill, Rachel E. Schattman, and Kathryn Yerxa

2020 — Growing Specialty Coffee: Economic security and environmental sustainability in global coffee systems, Stephen Posner, Janica Anderzen, Alejandra Guzman Luna, and Ernesto Mendez

2020 — Early COVID-19 Impacts on Food Retail and Restaurants: Consumer Perspectives from Vermont, Emily H. Belarmino, Farryl Bertmann, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, Roni Neff, and Meredith T. Niles

2020 — Employment and Food During Coronavirus, Meredith T. Niles, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Morgan, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, and Roni Neff

2015 — A GPI-Based Critique of "The Economic Profile of the Lower Mississippi River: an Update", Eric Zencey

Sustainable Agriculture

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2025 — "Valuing Traditional Seed Systems: Farmer seed saving provides critical “evosystem services." Yolanda Chen, Alicia Mastretta-Yanes, Daniel Tobin, Mauricio Bellon, Eric von Wettberg, Angelica Cibrian Jaramillo, Sofia Monroy-Sais, Ana Wegier

2022 — Seeds of Resilience: Learning from COVID-19 to Strengthen Seed Systems in Vermont, Ali Brooks, Carina V. Isbell, Daniel Tobin Ph.D., Travis Reynolds Ph.D., Eric Bishop Von Wettberg Ph.D., David Conner Ph.D., and Evie Wolfe

2022 — Results of the 2022 Vermont Farmer Conservation & Payment for Ecosystem Services Survey. Vermont Payment for Ecosystem Services Technical Research Report #3a, Alissa C. White

2021 — COVID-19 Impacts on Vermont Farms and Food Businesses: Pivots, Needs and Opportunities for the Future, Meredith T. Niles, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Mark Cannella, and David S. Conner

2020 — Agricultural Biosecurity: Reducing risks and impacts of livestock diseases, Stephen Posner, Scott Merrill, and Julie Smith

2019 — Payment for Ecosystem Services: Incentives to support environmental quality & farming in Vermont, Stephen Posner, Taylor Ricketts, and Eric Roy

2014 — 2014 Local Food Consumption in Vermont, Florence A. Becot and David Conner

Contacts

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Amanda Sardonis
Director of Policy and Partnerships
University of Vermont
Farrell Hall
210 Colchester Avenue 
Burlington, VT 05405 
Office: (802) 656-2591
asardoni@uvm.edu

Jay Caporale
Assistant Vice President, Corporate and Foundation Relations
UVM Foundation
Grasse Mount, 411 Main Street
office: (802) 656-3769
cell: (978) 790-1872
jay.caporale@uvm.edu