Sophia Carodenuto

Sophia Carodenuto is a UVic Faculty Fellow at the Centre for Global Studies and Assistant Professor in the UVic Geography Department. Sophia’s research is focused on the geography of natural resource governance. In particular, she studies the political geography of natural resources governance with special interest in how global food systems impact people and ecosystems. She is especially interested in understanding how the chocolate and cocoa industry can reduce its deforestation footprint while fostering sustainable land management practices such as agroforestry.

Her transdisciplinary approach to research is grounded in collaboration with policy makers, business, and civil society, with the aim to create practice-based and policy-relevant knowledge. Since 2010, her work has placed her at the intersection between science and environmental policy. She regularly advises governments, development organizations, business, and communities on land-use strategy and climate change, finance, agriculture, and business solutions to sustainability. Her geographic focus is global, with projects spanning Africa, the Pacific, and South/Central America.

During her time at the Centre, Sophia will be working on researching Canada’s approach to regulating its global food footprint, specifically looking at the forthcoming legislative options for holding Canadian corporations accountable for the environmental and social impacts embedded in their global supply chains.