Gleaning for Sustainability
During the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters, I worked under Dr. Norbert Wilson from the Divinity School and Dr. Charlotte Clark from the Nicholas School to conduct an independent study. I spent the fall semester collecting data and the spring semester performing analysis and writing my senior thesis paper. Although this project was not used to complete a certificate requirement, it is closely related to my focus area, so I chose to include it here.
I conducted 23 interviews with farmers that participate in a form of charitable food donation known as gleaning, the collection and reallocation of extra produce from farmers to people in need. Gleaning works to reduce food loss and food insecurity. My research question is below.
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How do farmers understand the benefits and costs of gleaning?
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My findings can help gleaning organizations to build strong relationships with farmers, making their operations more efficient. Below, you can see a copy of my final research paper that we submitted to the Journal of Agriculture and Human Values for publication. I also included a copy of my research poster that I presented for graduation with distinction.
