Date of Completion

2023

Document Type

Honors College Thesis

Department

Environmental Studies

Thesis Type

Honors College, College of Arts and Science Honors

First Advisor

Ernesto Méndez

Second Advisor

Victor Izzo

Third Advisor

Martha Caswell

Keywords

Agroecology, Horticulture Research and Education Center, Community, Food Security

Abstract

Agroecology can be defined as a countermovement against unsustainable practices in our current food system. It is a globally recognized approach to sustainable food systems that is being institutionalized through policies in multiple countries and global spaces, such as the FAO. Although significant efforts are being made to implement agroecological principles into concrete policy, there is limited and insufficient support for these movements. Through a close look at the University of Vermont’s Horticulture Research and Education Center (HREC), this project aimed to show the influence that the farm has on the individuals that interact with the space, the institution it’s connected to, and the greater Burlington community. Questions are posed about how the farm relates to agroecology and how an agroecological-minded farm could have potential benefits to its surrounding community, in terms of food security, innovation, and quality of life. Additionally, an ArcGIS Story Map was created for HREC, outlining the community connections and impacts that the farm holds. Hopefully, the Story Map will then be used to promote further conversations with the community partners of HREC to assess the strength and direction of HREC’s interactions with the local Burlington community in the future.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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