Bronwen Powell

Bronwen Powell (she/her) is an associate professor of Geography, African Studies and Anthropology (courtesy). Broadly, her research examines the social, cultural, and environmental drivers of human nutrition, diet, and food security. Her recent research focuses on how forests, landscape diversity, and land use change contribute to human diet and nutrition. Most recently she has been examining how climate change, land use change, market access, and policy change impact the food systems and diets of rural and Indigenous peoples around the world (Tanzania, Indonesia, Alaska).

She is interested in how the concept of healthy food environments, which has been widely explored in urban and higher income country settings, can be applied in rural African settings to understand dietary choice. In addition to availability, cost, and accessibility, Dr. Powell is also interested in how social, cultural, and political aspects of food environments shape dietary choice.