FJAR Lab’s Founding Director

Kristin Reynolds, Ph.D.

Dr. Kristin Reynolds’ research and activism focuses on social justice in the global food system through the lenses of critical/radical food geography and action research. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography and M.S. in International Agricultural Development from the University of California, Davis, and bachelor’s degrees in International Soil and Crop Sciences and French Languages and Literature from Colorado State University. She has lived and worked on numerous farms in the United States and Europe.

Dr. Reynolds is Chair and Associate Professor of the Food Studies Program; Founding Director of the Food and Social Justice Action Research Lab; and Faculty Affiliate in the Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School. She is also Affiliated Faculty at Yale School of the Environment; and an Associated Researcher at the European School of Political and Social Sciences.

 
 
 

Publications

Books

RADICAL FOOD GEOGRAPHIES

Hammelman, C., Levkoe, C., and Reynolds, K. 2024. Radical Food Geographies: Power, Knowledge and Resistance.  Bristol University Press, Food & Society: New Directions series. UK.

Publisher description: This collection presents critical and action-oriented approaches to addressing food systems challenges across places, spaces, and scales. With case studies from around the globe, Radical Food Geographies explores interconnections between power structures and the social and ecological dynamics that bring food from the land and water to our plates. Through themes of scale, spatial imaginaries, and human and more-than-human relationships, the authors explore ongoing efforts to co-construct more equitable and sustainable food systems for all.

Advancing a radical food geographies praxis, the book reveals multiple forms of resistance and resurgence, and offers examples of co-creating food systems transformation through scholarship, action, and geography.

Available from Bristol University Press or Amazon


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BEYOND THE KALE

Reynolds, K. and Cohen, N. 2016. Beyond the Kale: Urban Agriculture and Social Justice Activism in New York City. University of Georgia Press, Geographies of Justice and Social Transformation series.

Publisher description: “Urban agriculture is increasingly considered an important part of creating just and sustainable cities. Yet the benefits that many people attribute to urban agriculture—fresh food, green space, educational opportunities—can mask structural inequities,thereby making political transformation harder to achieve. Realizing social and environmental justice requires moving beyond food production to address deeper issues such as structural racism, gender inequity, and economic disparities. Beyond the Kale argues that urban agricultural projects focused explicitly on dismantling oppressive systems have the greatest potential to achieve substantive social change.”

Available from University of Georgia Press or Amazon.

 

INEGALITES ET RAPPORTS DE POUVOIR EN VILLE

Darly, S. et Reynolds, K. (Equal authorship) 2023. "Produire des aliments en ville/Politiser l’alimentation en contexte néolibéral. Montée en puissance de l’agriculture urbaine commerciale et nouvelle question agraire à Paris et New York à la fin des années 2010.” In Inégalités et Rapports de Pouvoir en Ville: Actualité de la critique urbaine. Clerval, A., Gardesse, C. and Rivière, J. eds.

 

MILITANTISMES ET POTAGERS

Reynolds, K. 2021. “Construire la justice sociale par l’éducation à l’agriculture urbaine:  L’exemple de la Farm School NYC.” In Militantismes et Potagers, edited by L. Granchamp and S. Glatron. Septenrion Presses Universitaires, Environment and Society series.

 
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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Environmental Justice: Key Issues is the first textbook to offer a comprehensive and accessible overview of environmental justice, one of the most dynamic fields in environmental politics scholarship. Kristin’s chapter, “Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Justice: Perspectives on Scholarship and Activism in the Field” explores histories in the field and highlights leadership by BIPOC (Black-Indigenous-People of Color) activists and scholars.

 
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ROOFTOP URBAN AGRICULTURE

Specht, K., Reynolds, K., and Sanyé-Mengual, E. 2017. Community and social justice aspects of rooftop agriculture. Springer.

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OUTSTANDING IN THEIR FIELDS

Outstanding in their Fields profiles seventeen women farmers and ranchers who dramatize the pioneering spirit, creativity and courage that animates much of the kinds of artisanal agriculture where women are leading the way. Kristin’s chapters describe the work of California women farmers growing and marketing products from blueberries to goat yogurt to alpaca fiber.

 

SELECT Peer reviewed journal articles

Horst, M., McClintock, N., Baysse-Laine, Darly, S., Paddeu, F., Perrin, C., Reynolds, K., and Soulard, C. 2021. Translating land justice through comparison: a US-French dialogue and research agenda. Agriculture and Human Values. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-021-10202-4

Block, D. and Reynolds, K. (Equal authorship) 2021. Funding a Peoples’ Food Justice Geography? Community–Academic Collaborations as Geographic Praxis. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, DOI: 10.1080/24694452.2020.1841603.

Reynolds, K., Block, D., Hammelman, C., Jones, B., Gilbert, J., and Herrera, H. 2020. Envisioning Radical Food Geographies: Shared Learning and Praxis through the Food Justice Scholar-Activist/Activist-Scholar Community of Practice. Human Geography 13(3).

Levkoe, C., Hammelman, C., Reynolds, K., Brown, X., Chappell, J.M., Salvador, R., and Wheeler, B. 2020. Scholar-Activist Perspectives on Radical Food Geography: Collaborating Through Food Justice and Food Sovereignty Praxis. Human Geography 13(3).

Moreau, S., Laigle, L., Reynolds, K., and Lewis, N. 2019. Justice environnementale et vote vert en Europe/Environmental justice and the Green vote in Europe. (In French and English.) Justice Spatiale/Spatial Justice. No 13.

Deldrève, V., Lewis, N., Moreau, S., et Reynolds, K. 2019. Les nouveaux chantiers de la justice environnementale. Introduction au numéro spécial de VertiGo: La revue électronique en sciences de l’environnement.

Reynolds, K., Block, D., and Bradley, K. 2018. Food Justice Scholar-Activism and Activist- Scholarship: Working Beyond Dichotomies to Deepen Social Justice Praxis. Guest editors’ introduction to special issue. Food Justice Scholar-Activism and Activist Scholarship. ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies. 17(4): 988-998.

Reynolds, K. 2017. Designing urban agriculture education as liberatory praxis: the radical pedagogy of Farm School NYC. International Journal of Food Design. 2(1), 45-63.

Reynolds, K. 2014. Disparity despite diversity: social injustice in New York City’s urban agriculture system. Antipode: A Radical Journal of Geography. 47(1): 240-259.

Reynolds, K., 2011. Expanding technical assistance for urban agriculture: Best practices for extension services in California and beyond. Advance online publication. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 1(3): 197–216.

SELECT RESEARCH BRIEFS, essays, AND TECHNICAL REPORTS

Reynolds, K., Gottfried, C., Thomas, T., and Smith, C. L. 2024. “Examining the Social Equity Implications of the USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Granting Program and Urban County Offices through a Racial Equity Lens: Final Report from a Pilot Study.” August 15, 2024.

Reynolds, K., Gottfried, C., and Thomas, T. 2024. Racial equity and the USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture granting program and urban offices [Policy brief]. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. Advance online publication, open access here.

Reynolds, K. 2021. “Soberanía alimentaria en un contexto de violencia estructural: poder, escala y resolución en los Estados Unidos de América,” (Food sovereignty in the context of structural violence: power, scale, and resolve in the United States of America.) in the edited volume Justicia y soberanía alimentaria en las Américas. Desigualdades, alimentación y agricultura. Prunier et al., eds. (2020). UNAM; CEMCA; École Urbaine de Lyon; y Fundación Henrich Boëll. Fall 2021.

Reynolds, K. 2019. Realizing a comprehensive urban agriculture plan in New York City: Perspectives on Int. No. 1058-2018: A Local Law in Relation to Developing a Comprehensive Urban Agriculture Plan. Food Policy Monitor, 6/24/19. City University of New York Urban Food Policy Institute.

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Reynolds, K., and Darly, S. (Equal authorship.) 2018. Commercial urban agriculture in the global city: perspectives from New York City and Métropole du Grand Paris. Food Policy Monitor, 12/11/18. City University of New York Urban Food Policy Institute.

Cohen, N., Reynolds, K., and Sanghvi, R., 2012. Five Borough Farm: Seeding the Future of Urban Agriculture in New York City. Design Trust for Public Space: New York, NY.

Reynolds, K. 2009. Urban agriculture in Alameda County, CA: Characteristics, challenges, and opportunities for assistance. University of California Small Farm Program Research Brief. UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

 

OP-EDS AND POPULAR MEDIA

Reynolds, K. 2016. “Urban agriculture’s contribution to sustainability depends on a focus on social, economic, and political equity.” The Nature of Cities, Global Online Roundtable “Urban agriculture has many benefits. Is one of them a contribution to urban sustainability?” David Maddox, editor. The Nature of Cities 6.30.16.

Reynolds, K. and Agyeman, J. 2015. “Food Studies Not as Frivolous as You Might Think: 
A Growing Academic Field Seeks to Understand Labor Conditions and Trade Agreements that Bring Us Our Daily Bread.” Zócalo Public Square. 11.04.15.

 

TEACHING MANUALS

 

CURRICULUM DESIGN

Kristin has designed curricula for numerous food and agriculture programs in higher education and community-based settings. Some examples include:

Design of a first-of-its kind associate’s degree program in food studies. Food Studies Associates Degree program Hostos Community College/City University of New York, Bronx, NY.          

See coverage in The Atlantic on 6/1/15 here.           

See New York Times coverage on 1/28/15 here.

Contributing to launch of an undergraduate major in food studies at The University of Southern Maine. Food Studies undergraduate major, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine

See coverage in Bangor Daily News on 2/21/17 here.

See coverage in Portland Press Herald on 12/14/16 here.

Contributing to development of the first sustainable agriculture major at a Land Grant Institution. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems undergraduate major, University of California, Davis, CA

Public Speaking

Kristin speaks regularly in a variety of venues in the United States and internationally, presenting in English or French. Some recent highlights include:

Video Talk. Invited speaker. (Online.) The Policy Center Live. Video series of The Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center, Alcorn State University. Hosted by Kara Woods. August 30, 2023. Online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt76Gf9bxQA

Talk. ‘Urban Agriculture and Racial and Economic Equity with Kristin Reynolds’ Part of the Cities@Tufts Colloquia, hosted by Julian Agyeman. October 2023. Find a video of the talk and links to the podcast on Shareable.

Webinar. Facing the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit. Online via The New School, New York, NY. 25 March, 2021. VIDEO

Keynote. “Food Sovereignty in the Context of Structural and Systemic Violence: Power, Scale, and Resolve” — International Congress on Food Justice and Sovereignty in the Americas: Inequality, Food, and Agriculture. Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM). Mexico City, Mexico. 28-31 October, 2019.