New tools for an old problem: Ending deforestation and fires in the Brazilian Amazon

About Prof. Dr. Rachael Garrett

Prof. Dr. Rachael Garrett is Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy with dual appointments in the Dept. of Humanities, Social and Political Science and the Dept. of Environmental Systems Science. She has an interdisciplinary training in economics, geography, history, systems thinking, environmental science, and policy analysis. She received her PhD through the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources at Stanford University in 2013, her MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University in 2006, and her BA in History and Environmental Analysis and Policy from Boston University in 2003.

Dr. Garrett’s research examines interactions between land use, ecosystem services, and economic development at multiple spatial and temporal scales to better understand the drivers and impacts of land change and the effectiveness of existing conservation and agricultural policies. She is particularly interested in how commodity supply chains interact with environmental institutions to shape land use processes, resource distribution, and trade. The applied outcomes of this work are the identification of policies, technologies, and market solutions that will help feed a growing world population without compromising the well-​​​being of future generations. She is particularly interested in ways that we can scale up sustainable practices in commercial farming systems, which occupy a majority of the world's land base.