Sean Smukler

Sean Smukler is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia, where he directs the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm and chairs Agriculture and the Environment. His research program works with farmers to develop methods for monitoring ecosystem services and enhancing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.

Research focuses on assessing farm management impacts on ecosystem functions including greenhouse gas mitigation, water quality, and soil health. Key interests include climate change adaptation/mitigation trade-offs, carbon sequestration verification, and nutrient cycling improvements across food systems. Work integrates field data with geospatial tools for landscape-scale assessments.

Recent publications demonstrate consistent themes: optimizing phosphorus management in high-input agricultural systems, developing soil carbon monitoring frameworks, quantifying ecosystem services from diversified farming, and evaluating conservation practices like hedgerows. Research provides practical solutions for sustainable intensification.