Farmworkers harvesting summer squash in Costa Rica
Food Systems and Sustainability Lab

Galt Lab

Katie Butterfield, Ph.D.

Katie Butterfield, Ph.D.

Woman with glasses wearing green knit beret and gray scarf in snowy park

Postdoctoral Researcher

Katie Butterfield is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Agricultural Sustainability Institute at UC Davis. She also holds a PhD in sociology from UC Merced and has served as the lead Research Data Analyst for CalFresh. Her research addresses social inequalities throughout our food system by asking how and under what conditions sustainable food programs can improve food access and limit exploitation among disadvantaged populations. Current work explores the limited adoption of organic farming practices across California.

Who we are

We are a group of researchers looking at how to make agriculture and food systems more just and sustainable. We study the ways that political, economic, and social structures influence the resiliency and fairness of our food systems throughout the value chain from production to consumption. Our work has a particular emphasis on California and Latin America.