The Food Systems Research Institute is proud to announce a second round of funding for the Sustainability Metrics project.
Launched in 2023, the Sustainability Metrics project is a transdisciplinary, collaborative initiative to measure the sustainability of the Northeast regional food system. In the first 3-year term of funding, five teams developed an indicator framework for measuring regional food system sustainability and implemented it to study several components of the Northeast’s food system, including soil health, plant-based protein production, and consumer-facing agriculture.
In this second round of funding, four teams will continue this work on new areas of the food system and will contribute to an open-source Sustainability Metrics dataset. “Our goal with this round of funding was to build a complex, collaborative set of projects that aren't just multidisciplinary but transdisciplinary,” said Tessa Lawler, project coordinator for the Sustainability Metrics project. “We’re particularly excited to be funding two health sustainability proposals, which gives us the opportunity to dive really deeply into that critical dimension of food systems sustainability."
Rooted in Well-Being: The Health Value of Local Food Engagement
PI: Emily Belarmino
This project investigates how local food sales and purchasing behaviors are related to nonmaterial well-being. The team includes PI Dr. Emily Belarmino (Nutrition and Food Sciences), Dr. Anaka Aiyar (CDAE), Dr. Rachelle Gould (RSENR), Christie Silkotch (UVM Libraries), and Marie Folan (UVM Extension).
Advancing Health Sustainability Metrics for Northeast Regional Food Systems through SYMPHONY: A Participatory, Mechanistically Informed Framework
PI: Carlos Andres Gallegos-Riofrío
This project builds on the SYMPHONY Project developed in Ecuador to identify health indicators which are important to Northeast food system sustainability and to assess which of those indicators are most actionable and meaningful to food systems stakeholders. The team includes PI Dr. Carlos Andres Gallegos-Riofrío (Institute for Agroecology), Co-PI Dr. Ernesto Méndez (Institute for Agroecology), Dr. Felipe Machado (Animal and Veterinary Sciences), and Dr. Laurent Hébert-Dufresne (Computer Science).
Measuring Maple Sustainability Indicators and Monitoring Trends 2026-2029
PI: Mark Cannella
This project investigates the current sustainability of the maple syrup industry (using the Sustainability Metrics projects 5-dimension model of sustainability) and possible avenues to improve the sustainability of maple production. The team includes PI Mark Canella (UVM Extension), Dr. Qingbin Wang (CDAE), Dr. Emmanual Abah (Food Systems Research Institute), Dr. Anathony D’Amato (RSENR), Zac Smith (UVM Extension; ALE PhD Student), and others.
Beyond the Farmgate: Sustainability Metrics for the Institutional Arrangements of Agricultural Production Systems
PI: Daniel Tobin
This project will study social sustainability at the systems-level with the aims of developing metrics to evaluate the social sustainability of food systems and of identifying ways to promote sustainable practices in the food system. The team includes PI Dr. Daniel Tobin (CDAE), Dr. Maki Hatanaka (Sociology), Dr. Jason Konefal (CDAE), Dr. Andrew Van Leuven (CDAE), and others.
About the Food Systems Research Institute:
The Food Systems Research Institute (FSRI) at the University of Vermont (UVM) funds collaborative research that puts people and the planet first, unites disciplines and communities, and answers complex questions about food systems.
The FSRI gives researchers the freedom, resources, and time to engage community stakeholders, including decision-makers, farmers, and food systems actors, about issues and opportunities across our food system. This results in relevant, widely disseminated research that informs policies, practices, and programs locally and regionally for a more resilient and accessible food future for all.
