Sara Elder

Dr. Sara Elder is an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia's Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, specializing in the social and environmental impacts of global supply chain governance, with a focus on agricultural producers in the Global South. She holds a Ph.D. from UBC where her interdisciplinary research bridged private governance and development studies.

Her research examines how voluntary sustainability standards affect smallholder farmers and workers, with fieldwork conducted across Rwanda, Nicaragua, Bolivia, South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania. Current work at the International Institute for Sustainable Development focuses on policy initiatives to enhance equity in agricultural supply chains.

Dr. Elder has designed undergraduate courses in socio-ecological systems research and actively translates academic knowledge into policy through roles including Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellow and International Labour Organization Technical Officer.