Professor Robin Craig has been selected as one of Vermont Law School’s four Distinguished Environmental Scholars for Summer 2013. From July 14-27, she will serve as the sustainable agriculture and food systems scholar, working with Vermont’s new Agriculture and Food Systems Center.
“My work in water quality, water law, and ocean management has piqued my interest in food security and the multiplicity of dimensions of ‘sustainable food systems,’” Craig explains. “At the same time, I have recently completed several projects on improving ocean governance, a substantial portion of which relates to food security in the form of improving fisheries management and the use of marine protected areas to rebuild fish stocks. Nevertheless, several reports (Oceana, UN FAO, publications in Science) now question whether fish will continue to be a viable source of protein for the world’s populations, creating a world-wide food security crisis that is expected in some quarters by the middle of this century. Both of these research endeavors have caused me to have renewed interest in aquaculture and mariculture. While in residence as Vermont’s distinguished environmental scholar, I plan to work on the current state of aquaculture (including mariculture) and its role in providing security to food systems, particularly with eye to whether ‘sustainable aquaculture/sustainable mariculture’ continues to make sense as a food security goal.”
In addition to her research, Craig will deliver a lecture during her residency.