At the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water: Elliot Campbell Bridges the Research Gap

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At the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water: Elliot Campbell Bridges the Research Gap

Testing the viability of popular ideas like "local food"

By Jennifer McNulty

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Representative image, source: PxHere

Three years ago, Elliott Campbell made headlines with research that suggested that existing U.S. cropland could feed most of the nation's population with food produced within 50 miles.

Those eye-popping findings, published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, delighted the "local food" movement. For Campbell, they underscore the importance of testing the viability of environmental initiatives that have captured the popular imagination.

"I take these dreamy ideas and see if the numbers play out," said Campbell, an associate professor of environmental studies and the inaugural recipient of the Stephen R. Gliessman Presidential Chair in Water Resources and Food System Sustainability. "That study was exciting, because it showed how much potential there is. Right now only about 1 percent of food is produced within the 'local food' parameters."

Campbell, who joined the faculty in July, is an environmental engineer who is drawn to research at the nexus of food, water, and energy. The Central Coast is a perfect "laboratory," because he is particularly intrigued by opportunities that pop up when urban and agricultural areas are in close proximity.

Read full article: University of California Santa Cruz

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