Graham MacDonald

Graham MacDonald is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at McGill University in Montréal, Québec. He leads the Land & Food Lab, which researches food systems, land use sustainability, and global environmental change. His work bridges biophysical and socioeconomic aspects of agriculture, focusing on nitrogen/phosphorus cycles and urbanization impacts.

Education:

• Ph.D. Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University
• M.Sc. Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University
• B.A. (Honours) Geography, McGill University

His research examines global-scale agricultural land use, emphasizing how nitrogen and phosphorus link food production, environmental outcomes, and socioeconomic drivers. Recent work explores urbanization's role in reshaping food demand and agricultural landscapes, employing quantitative and qualitative methods to assess sustainability implications across scales.

Publications focus on nutrient emissions, food system resilience, and rural-urban dynamics, consistently integrating environmental science with sustainability policy. Trends include spatial analysis of resource footprints, interdisciplinary assessments of food security, and telecoupled resource governance.

Dr. MacDonald leads the Land & Food Lab, supervising graduate researchers and collaborating on projects such as crop diversification and municipal climate policy integration. The lab uses field data and modeling to address sustainability challenges in global agriculture.