Have you been enjoying eating blueberries this summer? If yes, you can thank wild bees. How much thanks do they deserve? Well, that’s a question being asked by Professor Taylor Ricketts, Director of UVM’s Gund Institute for Ecological Economics.

“Most people think the domesticated honeybee is the only insect that pollinates crops,” explains Taylor. “In actuality, honeybees are only one species of many that perform important pollination services for our food system.” Continue reading →

Eric Garza is an energy systems consultant (Aisthetica.com) and a Lecturer at UVM. This is the first in a series of blog posts from Eric on energy use in the food system.

Every time I visit my local food co-op or wander through my local farmers market, I’m faced with the reality that food prices are rising. They’re rising for staples, things like meat and potatoes, but they’re also rising for fruits, vegetables, and other foods. Food prices have been on the rise for most of the last decade, and have become particularly volatile over the past five years. Interestingly enough, food prices show a striking resemblance to trends in fuel prices over the same period. Continue reading →