Serge Wiltshire is an ARS Postdoctoral Researcher with the Food Systems Research Center. Formerly a doctoral student at ̽̽, Serge's research has spanned food systems, sustainability, climate change, resilience, livestock science, and more. We are excited to feature Serge and learn more about his current research and interests.
1. What current food systems research are you conducting?
One of the current goals of the ̽̽ Food Systems Research Center team is to develop a tool to measure sustainability outcomes in regional and local food systems. In order to understand how sustainable a food system is, or whether things are getting better or worse, we’re working to develop an array of indicators and metrics that can be used to track outcomes in a rigorous way over time. Because sustainability is defined across multiple dimensions (e.g. environmental, economic, production, social, and human), this project is necessarily very interdisciplinary, and has involved a large, diverse group of thinkers. My primary role is to facilitate and coordinate between groups with expertise in different facets of food system sustainability, and integrate their knowledge into a unified framework. Going forward, we aim to continue to develop this framework into an actionable tool, as well as establish a data clearinghouse that can be used to coordinate and combine sustainability datasets, creating a whole bigger than the sum of its parts.
In parallel, I’ve been working with Dr. Brian Beckage and Sarah Grobe, an honors student here at ̽̽, to better understand how different regenerative farming practices may impact soil carbon sequestration in a Vermont context. Quantifying the potential of soil carbon sequestration is especially important as Vermont continues to plan climate change mitigation measures, for example under the 2020 Global Warming Solutions Act. My work in this area uses computational tools, combining datasets on climatological, land use, soil, and other factors, integrating the expertise of ̽̽ Extension professionals, and leveraging computer models to project how soil carbon stocks may grow or diminish over time in different locations and under different land management scenarios. The first paper from this work is forthcoming in PLOS Climate.
2. What got you interested in food systems research?
Throughout my twenties I periodically worked on farms, and through those and other life experiences, I began to take a keen interest in the ways food production interacts with other factors, like environmental health, human wellbeing, and social equity. These insights sparked my academic curiosity in food systems research, prompting me to enroll in the then-new Food Systems graduate program at ̽̽.
3. How is your FSRC-funded research impacting Vermonters?
Food systems by their very nature are intricately intertwined with many facets of everyday life. From food affordability, access, and security, to rural community vibrancy, to algae blooms in Lake Champlain, the choices we collectively make about how we grow, process, distribute, and consume food have far-reaching consequences. Our research aims to help make the Vermont food system (and beyond) more sustainable and climate-smart. We are specifically interested in thinking through how the effects of different proposed changes will create cross-cutting links, impacting different dimensions of the food system. For example, farming practices that limit runoff have the direct effect of retaining more nutrients to build soil locally on a given farm, but simultaneously have co-benefits, including the public value derived from healthy waterways for recreation and other activities, human health impacts, rural community livability, and more. Of course, we also need to consider potential downsides at the same time, to make sure the net effect of any proposed change is positive. By considering these issues in aggregate, and not just in individual “silos” of knowledge, we are better able to grapple with the inherent complexities of such systems, and to propose long-term solutions that work for all Vermonters.
4. Where do you see the role of your field in expanding research on food systems at ̽̽ and beyond?
My particular expertise lies at the intersection of food systems sustainability, data analytics, and computer modeling. As society steps deeper into the big data era, the mountains of information we’re accumulating can be either a boon or a boondoggle. I see my role as someone who can leverage the computational skills I’ve gained, particularly from my graduate certificate through the ̽̽ Complex Systems Center, to turn these seemingly-indecipherable streams of numbers into meaningful and actionable information. Hopefully my work can help to guide farmers, policymakers, and others as we collectively navigate the complexities of minimizing our negative environmental impacts while also ensuring a supply of good quality, affordable, and accessible food.
5. What is something about you people would be surprised to learn?
In my free time, I like to play rock and roll.
6. What’s your favorite thing about living in Vermont?
Being a Vermonter, my favorite thing is probably the community-minded nature of our state. We have a good tradition of not letting differing views and dissenting opinions cloud our understanding of our neighbors as ultimately good people with genuine intentions. I hope we can keep that going. A close second would be our magnificent lake and epic-yet-friendly mountains.
7. What TV show, band/artist, podcast, video game, book, and/or anything are you most obsessed with right now?
Recently I’ve been obsessed with the album Sleep’s Holy Mountain. I’m trying to learn the riffs on guitar. In between, I always come back to country classics like Roger Miller, Merle Haggard, and The Carter Family.