Tad Mutersbaugh

Tad Mutersbaugh is a Professor of Geography at the University of Kentucky and Director of the Committee on Social Theory. His research focuses on political ecology, certification systems, and agrarian studies in Latin America, particularly Mexico and Central America. He holds a PhD in Geography and an MA in Latin American Studies from UC Berkeley.

His work examines socio-spatial economies of certification (organic, fairtrade, biodiversity) and their impacts on peasant farmers, gender dynamics, and communal labor. Key themes include ethical commodity networks, value chains, and the commodification of rural landscapes.

Notable contributions include studies on gender equity in coffee producer organizations and the political economy of certified organic coffee networks. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in Oaxaca, Mexico, investigating certification labor practices and rural governance.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Committee on Social Theory and collaborates with interdisciplinary networks studying Latin American agrarian systems.