The University of Colorado Denver Food Systems Research Group is part of the National Science Foundation funded IGERT multidisciplinary doctoral training project on Sustainable Urban Infrastructure and its partner enterprise, the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems (CSIS) at CU Denver.
We are a multidisciplinary team of students and faculty from engineering, social sciences, policy, and planning. The broad focus of the group is a research-driven examination of urban agriculture as part of the broader food system, as a significant contributor to feeding urban populations, and as a more sustainable approach than the current commodities driven system.
Members
John Brett, PhD, Dept. of Anthropology (Faculty Advisor)
Jessica Cook, NSF IGERT PhD Fellow, Dept. of Health and Behavioral Sciences
Zachary Coventry, NSF IGERT PhD Fellow, Dept. of Environmental Engineering
Amy DePierre, MS Candidate, Dept. of Geography and Environmental Sciences
Erin Fiene, MURP, Project and Evaluation Coordinator, CCCD, College of Architecture and Planning
Steve Fisher, NSF IGERT PhD Fellow, Dept. of Civil Engineering
Debbie Guenther, PhD candidate, Dept. of Health and Behavioral Sciences
Debbi Main, PhD, Dept. of Health and Behavioral Sciences (Faculty Advisory)
Kate Oviatt, NSF IGERT PhD Fellow, Dept. of Health and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Projects
Farming the City: Urban Agriculture Potential in the Denver Metro Area
Our current group research project examines the potential for sustainable urban agriculture as a contributor to the Denver metro area food supply.
A case study of urban agriculture: A life cycle assessment of vegetable production
For his dissertation research, IGERT PhD Fellow Steve Fisher is completing an LCA that compares fresh vegetables grown conventionally (large scale commercial) with those grown in smaller, sub-acre settings similar to urban backyards (small scale). Key impacts assessed are water use, fossil fuel use, land use change, emissions, employment, and soil organic carbon.
Urban Agriculture in Delhi, India
IGERT Trainees Jesse Cook and Kate Oviatt travelled to Delhi, India with faculty advisor John Brett during the summer of 2011. The goal of this project was to develop a detailed description of urban agriculture within and around Delhi. This project establishes a baseline understanding of the local context of urban agriculture in Delhi and how it functions as a sustainable livelihood strategy.
For more information, please contact John Brett at john.brett@ucdenver.edu or 303-556-8497.