Kathleen Merrigan
Executive Director, Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, Kelly and Brian Swette Professor of Sustainable Food Systems
Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems
Arizona State University
800 S Cady Mall
Tempe, AZ 85281
Titles
- Senior Global Futures Scientist, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory
- Executive Director, Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, Kelly and Brian Swette Professor of Sustainable Food Systems
- Kelly and Brian Swette Professor of Practice in Sustainable Food Systems, School of Sustainability/College of Health Solutions/School of Public Affairs
Biography
Kathleen A. Merrigan is an expert in food and agriculture, celebrated by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010. Currently, she serves as the Kelly and Brian Swette Professor in the School of Sustainability and executive director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University. From 2009 to 2013, Merrigan was deputy secretary and COO of the United States Department of Agriculture, where she led efforts to support local food systems. She is known for authoring the law establishing national standards for organic food and the federal definition of sustainable agriculture. Merrigan is a board member of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and a Trustee of CIFOR and ICRAF. She is a partner in Astanor Ventures and an advisor to S2G Ventures, two firms investing in ag-tech innovation. Merrigan holds a PhD in Public Policy and Environmental Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MPA from University of Texas at Austin, and BA from Williams College.
Education
- PhD, Environmental Planning and Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Masters of Public Affairs, LBJ School, University of Texas
- BA, English and Political Science, Williams College
Expertise
Journal Articles
2023
Kennedy, E., M. A. Torero, D. Mozaffarian, W. A. Masters, R. A. Steiner, S. L. Hendriks, J. A. Morrison, K. A. Merrigan, S. A. Ghosh and D. E. Mason-d'Croz. 2023. Beyond the Food Systems Summit: Linking recommendations to action -- the true cost of food. Current Developments in Nutrition 7(2):100028. DOI: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.100028. (link )
2019
Colon-Ramos, U., A. A. Roess, K. Robien, P. D. Marghella, R. J. Waldman and K. A. Merrigan. 2019. Food distributed during federal disaster relief response in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria did not fully meet federal nutrition recommendations. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 119(11):1903-1915. DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2019.03.015. (link )
Sandhu, H., A. Müller, P. Sukhdev, K. A. Merrigan, A. Tenkouano, P. Kumar, S. S. Hussain, W. Zhang, W. Pengue, B. Gemmill-Herren, M. W. Hamm, M. Tirado von der Pahlen, C. Obst, K. Sharma, H. Gundimeda, A. Markandya, P. May, G. Platais and J. Weigelt. 2019. The future of agriculture and food: Evaluating the holistic costs and benefits. The Anthropocene Review 6(3):. DOI: 10.1177/2053019619872808. (link )
Sylvetsky, A. C., A. Hiedacavage, N. Shah, P. Pokorney, S. Baldauf, K. A. Merrigan, V. Smith, M. W. Long, R. Black, K. Robien, C. Gaube, D. Greenberg, M. G. Wootan, S. Takegawkar, U. Colon-Ramos, M. Leahy, A. Ohmes, J. A. Mennella, J. Sacheck and W. H. Dietz. 2019. From biology to behavior: a cross-disciplinary seminar series surrounding added sugar and low-calorie sweetener consumption. Obesity Science and Practice 5(3):203-219. DOI: 10.1002/osp4.334. (link )
2016
Benton-Short, L. and K. A. Merrigan. 2016. Beyond interdisciplinary: How sustainability creates opportunities for pan-university efforts. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 6(2):387-398. DOI: 10.1007/s13412-015-0341-x. (link )
2015
Merrigan, K., T. Griffin, P. Wilde, K. Robien, J. Goldberg and W. H. Dietz. 2015. Designing a sustainable diet. Science 350(6257):165-166. DOI: 10.1126/science.aab2031. (link )
Neff, R. A., K. A. Merrigan and D. Wallinga. 2015. A food systems approach to healthy food and agriculture policy. Health Affairs 34(11): 1908–1915. DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0926. (link )
Book Chapters
2023
Merrigan, K. A. 2023. What is bioengineered food? An agrcultural expert explains. In: Zimmer, M. ed., The Consrvation on Biotechnology. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN: 9781421446141.
2021
El-Hage Scialabba, N., C. Obst, K. A. Merrigan and A. Müller. 2021. Conclusion: Mobilizing the power and potential of true cost accounting. Pp. 263-273 Trus Cost Accounting for Food: Balancing the Scale. Routledge. London. ISBN: 9781003050803.
Merrigan, K. A. 2021. Embedding TCA within US regulatory decision-making. Pp. 179-188 In: Gemmill-Herren, B., L. E. Baker and P. A. Daniels eds., True Cost Accounting for Food: Balancing the Scale. Routledge. London. ISBN: 9781003050803.
Merrigan, K. A. 2021. Tradeoffs: Comparing meat and the alternatives. Pp. 235-243 In: Gemmill-Herren, B., L. E. Baker and P. A. Daniels eds., TTrue Cost Accounting for Food: Balancing the Scale. Routledge. London. ISBN: 9781003050803.
2017
Dietz, W. H., R. C. Brownson, C. E. Douglas, J. J. Dreyschuer, R. Z. Goetzel, S. L. Gortmaker, J. S. Marks, K. A. Merrigan, R. R. Pate, L. M. Powell and M. Story. 2017. Chronic disease prevention: Tobacco, physical activity, and nutrition for a healthy start. Pp. 111-134 In: Dzau, V. J., M. B. McClellan, J. M. McGinnis and E. M. Finkelman eds., Vital Directors for Health & Health Care: An Initiative of the National Academy of Medicine. National Academy of Medicine. Washington, DC. ISBN: 9781947103016. (link )
Kagan, A. and K. A. Merrigan. 2017. Advancing food equity through local and regional food systems. Pp. 79-92 In: Dumont, A., D. Davis, J. Wascalus, T. Cheeks Wilson, J. Barham and D. Tropp eds., Harvesting Opportunity: The Power of Regional Food System Investments. Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. St Louis, MO. (link )
Conference Papers
2015
Merrigan, K. A. 2015. Thinking over time: A 20-year perspective on biotech policy. Pp. 15-24 In: Thompson, G. A., S. E. Lipari and R. W. Hardy eds., NABC Report 27 -- Stewardship for the Sustainability of Genetically Engineering Crops: The Way Forward in Pest Management, Coexistence, and Trade. 27th Annual Conference of the North American Agricultural Biotechnology Council. Ithaca, NY.
Reports
2023
Caron, P., M. Gitagia, M. W. Hamm, U. Hoffman, E. Kimani-Murage, T. Martinez-Cruz, K. A. Merrigan, P. Mooney, O. Riemer, N. El-Hage Scialabba and T. M. Shah. 2023. Blindspots in the Debate on Agri-Food System Transformation. TMG – Think Tank for Sustainability. FORESEE (4C) – The Transformation of Agri-Food Systems in Times of Multiple Crises (4Cs: Climate, Covid-19, Conflict, Cost of Externalities) FORESEE (4C) Report 3. (link )
2022
Merrigan, K. A., E. G. Giraud, N. El-Hage Scialabba, L. Brook, A. Johnson and S. Aird. 2022. Grow Organic: The Climate, Health, and Economic Case for Expanding Organic Agriculture. Natural Resources Defense Council. R: 22-10-A. (link )
Merrigan, K. A., B. B. Jablonski, M. Bellon, K. Jablonski, M. Natarajan, F. Garry, S. Lemon, A. Overlin, C. Hanley, R. Rhoades, G. Nichols, J. A. Dillon, N. Benard and A. Bauman. 2022. Unveiling the Hidden Capitals of Cow-Calf Operations in Rangelands of the West. Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems. A TCA TEEBAgriFood Application (link )
2021
Merrigan, K. A., E. G. Giraud and C. Greene. 2021. The Critical To-Do List for Organic Agriculture. Swette Center for Sustainable Food Syatems. (link )
Merrigan, K. A., E. G. Giraud and C. Greene. 2021. The Critical To-Do List for Organic Agriculture: 46 Recommendations for the President.. Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, Arizona State University. (link )
Editorials
2022
Archambeau, E. and K. A. Merrigan. 2022. Beware the false dichotomy: The EU need not choose between food security and sustainability [Editorial]. Retrieved from link
Merrigan, K. A. 2022. Fertilizer prices are soaring – and that’s an opportunity to promote more sustainable ways of growing crops [Editorial]. Retrieved from link
2021
Merrigan, K. A. 2021. Organic food has become mainsteam but still has room to grow [Editorial]. Retrieved from link
Merrigan, K. A. 2021. Unlike the US, Europe is setting ambitious targets for producing more organic food [Editorial]. Retrieved from link
2020
Merrigan, K. A. 2020. Congress needs to come to rescue of restaurants [Editorial]. Retrieved from link
Merrigan, K. A. 2020. Striving for better policy with food systems thinking [Editorial]. Retrieved from link
2019
Schlosser, P., D. White, K. Merrigan, K. Lackner, G. Dirks, R. Aggarwal, N. Berman, C. Boone, H. Eakin, M. Laubichler, B. Sarda and S. van der Leeuw. 2019. Recognizing the urgency of our climate crisis: ASU Global Futures Laboratory response to the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land [Editorial]. Retrieved from link
2017
Merrigan, K. and E. Starmer. 2017. The making of a food movement [Editorial]. Retrieved from link
2016
Glickman, D., J. Moseley, K. Merrigan and E. Simmons. 2016. Opinion: Elevate agriculture, food to a national priority [Editorial]. Retrieved from link
Glickman, D., J. Moseley, K. Merrigan and E. Simmons. 2016. We need a legal, stable agriculture workforce: How do we get there? [Editorial]. Retrieved from link
2015
Merrigan, K. A. and T. Griffin. 2015. Building a case, over time, for adding sustainability to nutritional guidelines [Editorial]. Retrieved from link