BC AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION SERIES

Module 3: Collaborative Research for Producer Adaptation

Dr. Sean Smukler, University of British Columbia

Dr. Sean Smukler explains the role of research in supporting producer adaptation to climate change and the importance of using a collaborative (or transdisciplinary) approach to address these complex challenges in agriculture systems. Dr. Smukler draws on his past research to showcase the need for collaboration between cross sector experts working in agriculture production and research and highlights work being done by the BC Agricultural Climate Adaptation Research Network (ACARN) to strengthen linkages between academic, government and industry groups. In the live recording participants discuss real climate change research questions that are facing the industry today and explore the expertise required to effectively address them.

Studio recordings

Module 1, Part 1 – Climate Change Concepts

Module 1, Part 2 – Projected Climate Change in BC

Module 1, Part 3 – Guidance and Best Practices

Presenter bio

Dr. Sean Smukler is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS) at UBC. He earned a PhD in Ecology at the University of California, and a M.S. in Forest Soils at the University of Washington. He is the Junior Chair of Agriculture and the Environment at LFS, and he has been the Chair of the BC Agriculture Climate Adaptation Research Network since its inception in 2017. His research program is focused on working with farmers, and other managers of agricultural landscapes to find ways to better monitor, protect and enhance biodiversity and the availability of ecosystem services including food, fiber, fuel and timber production, greenhouse gas mitigation, and water quality and quantity regulation.