Science for Food System Transformation: Examples from Regenerative Foodscapes
From large dataset integration to place-based interventions, Dr. Wood’s interdisciplinary work advances knowledge and practices to build sustainable food & agriculture systems. Join us to hear how research-informed tools can improve on-the-ground management.
—Zoe Sims, PhD Candidate, Bren School
ABSTRACT
Food systems sit at the center of today’s most pressing environmental challenges, from climate change and biodiversity loss to water quality and human health. The Nature Conservancy’s Regenerative Foodscapes strategy seeks to address these challenges by advancing regenerative agriculture across a portfolio of priority agricultural landscapes worldwide. In this seminar, I will describe how interdisciplinary science supports this strategy—linking landscapes, informing where and how to intervene, and demonstrating impact. Drawing on case studies from the Upper Mississippi River Basin and India, I will highlight the use of tools such as drinking water quality models, remote sensing, and carbon modeling to guide action and support monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Together, these examples illustrate how rigorous, applied science can accelerate transitions in food systems while shaping policy, market, and supply‑chain influence strategies.
BIO
Stephen Wood is a Senior Scientist for Agriculture & Food Systems at The Nature Conservancy, where he carries out science to help achieve TNC’s 2030 goals through the organization’s work on agriculture and food systems. His scientific work spans agroecology, climate change, land use change, biodiversity, and freshwater science.
Stephen’s role combines embedded science—supporting strategies like Regenerative Foodscapes and Natural Climate Solutions—with efforts to turn evidence into action through publications, policy engagement, and market transformation. He has worked on several open data and science tools such as AgEvidence, SoilsRevealed, and a global Foodscapes visualization tool.
Before joining TNC, Stephen was a NatureNet Science Fellow with TNC and the Yale School of the Environment. He earned his Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution & Environmental Biology from Columbia University. He also serves as a Research Scientist and Lecturer at Yale and is based in New Haven, Connecticut.