Laura Vang Rasmussen

Laura Vang Rasmussen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management at the University of Copenhagen, specializing in Geography, Land, Environment and Society. She leads the research group The Land Lab (http://thelandlab.net/), focusing on the critical intersection of environmental change and human well-being.

Her research centers on land use changes, their human and environmental drivers, and the outcomes of these changes, with fieldwork conducted across diverse contexts including Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Laos, and Brazil. She received her Ph.D. in 2013 from the University of Copenhagen and has held positions at the University of Michigan and University of British Columbia.

Analysis of her 88 research outputs reveals a strong thematic focus on the relationship between tree cover, agroforestry systems, and dietary quality in developing countries. Her work demonstrates how even low levels of tree cover can significantly improve food security and nutrition, particularly through on-farm tree cultivation. The research spans environmental science, nutrition, and development studies, with growing attention to climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation.

• ERC Proof of concept grant: An innovative 'Forest and Trees Toolkit' for reducing malnutrition in Africa (2023-2025)
• ERC starting grant: Reinterpreting how forests support people's dietary quality in low-income countries (2020-2025)
• Independent Research Fund Denmark: Effects of Deforestation and Reforestation on food security and nutrition (2021)
• Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship: Can agricultural intensification and expansion perversely lead to lower food security among local people? (2017-2019)
• DANIDA: Climate, Pollinator biodiversity, Crop Pollination and People's Livelihoods (2024-2029)

Her work has gained significant traction, with multiple publications covered by numerous news outlets, cited in policy documents, and referenced in Wikipedia. The high-impact publication in Science on 'Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture' (2024) received coverage from 78 news outlets and was referenced in 2 policy sources, demonstrating the real-world relevance of her research. She maintains an active research group investigating how land use systems can simultaneously support environmental sustainability and human well-being.