Lauren Howe

Lauren received a Master of Science in International Agricultural Development (IAD) at the University of California, Davis, where she was able to combine her passions for sustainable food systems and social justice with an international lens. She focused on the intersection of gender-equity, climate resilience, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture by promoting fruits and vegetables as a foundation for sustainable diets. In collaboration with the UC Davis Program in International and Community Nutrition (PICN), Helen Keller International (HKI), Vijaya Development Resource Center (VDRC), and the USAID-funded Horticulture Innovation Lab, Lauren’s research focuses on reducing food loss and increasing access to nutritious foods by promoting solar drying of fruits and vegetables among women farmers in Nepal. She is currently a graduate student researcher at the UC Davis-based Horticulture Innovation Lab, whose global research network advances fruit and vegetable innovations, empowering smallholder farmers to earn more income while better nourishing their communities.

Before coming to California, Lauren was based in Denver, Colorado where she was the Manager of Community Engagement and School Gardens for Slow Food USA, a national nonprofit whose mission is “Good, Clean, and Fair Food for All.” While in Denver, she was an Orbis Fellow, for which she participated in a year-long residency program designed for young professionals who aspire to make a positive impact by engaging in critical dialogue and collaboration around systemic, global issues. In 2013, Lauren was selected as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow to pursue a self-designed postgraduate research project: “A Sustainable Future for Food and Farming: Modern Technology and Traditional Wisdom" in Tanzania, India, Bhutan, Bolivia, the Netherlands and Iceland. A member of Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society, Lauren graduated from Hamilton College in upstate New York with a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies, concentrating in Women and Gender Studies, and a minor in Government. When she’s not studying or working, you can find her active in one of her many outdoor hobbies, including road cycling, rock climbing, skiing, and gardening.