Laura Raynolds

Laura T. Raynolds is a Professor of Sociology at Colorado State University and Director of the Center for Fair & Alternative Trade. Her research focuses on globalization, international development, food & agriculture systems, gendered labor dynamics, and fair trade initiatives. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, and Costa Rica.

Education: Ph.D. in Sociology from Cornell University. Her work has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, Ford Foundation, USAID, and the MacArthur Foundation. She has authored over 50 articles and co-edited two influential books, including Fair Trade: The Challenges of Transforming Globalization (2007) and Handbook of Research on Fair Trade (2015).

Research highlights include analyzing Fair Trade certification impacts, labor rights in agro-export sectors, and gender equity in global commodity chains. Her work has been widely cited, with several articles exceeding 500 citations.

Awards: John N. Stern Distinguished Professor Award (CSU College of Liberal Arts) and Excellence in Research Award (Rural Sociological Society). She teaches courses on global food systems, gender & society, social inequality, and development theories. Her current focus includes Fairtrade labor certification challenges and community-driven food sovereignty initiatives.