About


2015-08-04 18.48.01-1 CROP

I’m a political agroecologist, focusing on the political-economy of diversified farming systems. My research prioritizes working directly with farmers and community groups to support the transition to just and sustainable food systems. My interests are informed equally by agroecology and political ecology, so I care about both the multidimensional performance of farming systems, as well as the ways in which our ideas about agriculture translate into policy that has different consequences for different communities. My research has focused on the permaculture movement, as a farming practice and as an international grassroots network. Prior to graduate study I spent a decade as an activist in the global justice movement, as participant, organizer, and scholar. Since 2005 I’ve been developing and sharing the Liberation Ecology workshop, a curriculum that helps participants develop strategies for integrating social justice and sustainability goals.

I’m a scientist with the Food and Environment program at Union of Concerned Scientists. I live in Washington, DC.

– Rafter Sass Ferguson