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 

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. 

• “Valuation of Ecosystem Services from Improved Soil Health in Vermont”, estimates the economic costs of flooding, erosion, and nutrient loss and the resulting value of nutrient retention and soil biodiversity.