News
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May 3, 2024
We're happy to welcome Naia to the lab, a visiting PhD student from the University of Colorado Boulder. April 2, 2024 Another successful PhD defence- this time for Ginni. Hooray for Dr. Braich! February 26, 2024 Laura's PhD defence was a raging success! Congratulations Dr. Castrejon Violante! February 8, 2024 Jumi successfully defended her PhD. Three cheers for Dr. Gogoi! December 15, 2023 We're very happy to be welcoming PhD student Farrukh Chishtie to the Luge Lab. October, 2023 Navin, Kushank, and Jeff took a trip to Kitchener for the Solutionscapes annual meeting. September 21, 2023 Navin authored a perspective piece on the roles of both technological innovation and cultural change in advancing sustainability objectives September 17, 2023 Charlotte joined the LUGE team as lab manager. June 27, 2023 After a fruitful 10 month visit, we said we're sad to bid farewell to Patrick, who is headed back to UCLouvain. Goodbye Patrick! January 10, 2023 Julie headed off to Germany to begin her PhD. We wish Julie a fond farewell and the best of luck on her future studies! August 31, 2022 We recently said goodbye to Hanna Karg, who was a visiting postdoc with us for 8 months. We are also saying hello to visiting PhD student Vili Virkki and visiting professor Patrick Meyfroidt. Welcome to the LUGE lab! October 8, 2021 Navin and colleagues published a review of cropping system data products September 9, 2021 Navin co-authored a perspective piece on the productivism vs agroecology debate April 30, 2021 Balsher has been quoted in an AP news article on the deepening water crisis in India |
November 3, 2020
A new paper led by Zia and featuring Juan, Christian, Vinny, Navin and others is out in Nature Sustainability, and has been covered by NatGeo and Forbes.
A new paper led by Zia and featuring Juan, Christian, Vinny, Navin and others is out in Nature Sustainability, and has been covered by NatGeo and Forbes.
March 26, 2020
Laura is featured in the Ubyssey commenting on UBC's approach to help food insecure students.
Laura is featured in the Ubyssey commenting on UBC's approach to help food insecure students.
February 11, 2020
Navin gave the Bentley Lecture in Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Alberta, on the topic of "Farming on a Warming Planet"
Navin gave the Bentley Lecture in Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Alberta, on the topic of "Farming on a Warming Planet"
January 16, 2020
New publication by Balsher, Milind & Navin on the impact that electricity tariffs have on groundwater consumption for agriculture.
New publication by Balsher, Milind & Navin on the impact that electricity tariffs have on groundwater consumption for agriculture.
November 18, 2019
Balsher has written an article for The Tribune on who is (and is not) to blame for poor air quality in North India.
Balsher has written an article for The Tribune on who is (and is not) to blame for poor air quality in North India.
October 10, 2019
Ginni and Zia are at the Herrenhausen conference in Hanover on food security and extreme events
Ginni and Zia are at the Herrenhausen conference in Hanover on food security and extreme events
September 4, 2019
New publication on deforestation policies regarding oil palm in Malaysia and Indonesia
New publication on deforestation policies regarding oil palm in Malaysia and Indonesia
September 3, 2019
We decided to kick of the term with a hike to Brew Hut! Also, welcome to new students Erika, Jumi and Kushank!
We decided to kick of the term with a hike to Brew Hut! Also, welcome to new students Erika, Jumi and Kushank!
August 26, 2019
Vinny passed his PhD defense! Congratulations Dr. Ricciardi!
Vinny passed his PhD defense! Congratulations Dr. Ricciardi!
August 8, 2019
Navin interviewed with the CBC on the new IPCC special report on Climate Change and Land!
Navin interviewed with the CBC on the new IPCC special report on Climate Change and Land!
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August 6, 2019
Vinny Ricciardi's collaboration with graphic artists to communicate his PhD research has been featured in a new Nature Communications Biology Comment.
Vinny Ricciardi's collaboration with graphic artists to communicate his PhD research has been featured in a new Nature Communications Biology Comment.
February 11, 2019
Check out our latest blog post, which is a response to the EAT-Lancet report's proposed diet.
Check out our latest blog post, which is a response to the EAT-Lancet report's proposed diet.
May 22, 2018
Check out our new publication that asks, "How much of the world's food do smallholders produce?". Link here.
Check out our new publication that asks, "How much of the world's food do smallholders produce?". Link here.
September 29, 2017
New publication! "Detection of cropland field parcels from Landsat imagery". Link here.
New publication! "Detection of cropland field parcels from Landsat imagery". Link here.
March 10, 2017
"Many shades of gray—The context-dependent performance of organic agriculture"- the latest research out of the LUGE lab has just been published in Science Advances. An opinion piece is also available on The Conversation.
"Many shades of gray—The context-dependent performance of organic agriculture"- the latest research out of the LUGE lab has just been published in Science Advances. An opinion piece is also available on The Conversation.
January 10, 2017
"What is this thing called organic?"- the latest publication from the LUGE group is now available online.
"What is this thing called organic?"- the latest publication from the LUGE group is now available online.
December 19, 2016
Congratulations to Jordan, who has successfully defended his PhD thesis: 'The Changing Scale of Agriculture in Latin America'
Congratulations to Jordan, who has successfully defended his PhD thesis: 'The Changing Scale of Agriculture in Latin America'
June 6, 2016
Congrats to the most recent grads from the Ramankutty and Rhemtulla labs
Congrats to the most recent grads from the Ramankutty and Rhemtulla labs
February 1, 2016
Another successfully defended PhD! Big congratulations to Verena, who successfully defended her thesis examining the contribution of organic agriculture to sustainable food security.
Another successfully defended PhD! Big congratulations to Verena, who successfully defended her thesis examining the contribution of organic agriculture to sustainable food security.
January 6, 2016
A paper led by Corey Lesk, who was an undergraduate research assistant for Navin during his McGill days, has just been published in Nature. Using reported extreme weather disasters from 1964-2007, the authors examined the effects these events have had on crop production at the global scale. Amongst their findings, they show the negative impact that drought and extreme heat events have had on agricultural production in the recent past, and that these events have a greater impact in developed countries. The paper is already receiving a lot of coverage in the press (McGill,UBC,New York Times). Congratulations Corey, Pedram, and Navin!
A paper led by Corey Lesk, who was an undergraduate research assistant for Navin during his McGill days, has just been published in Nature. Using reported extreme weather disasters from 1964-2007, the authors examined the effects these events have had on crop production at the global scale. Amongst their findings, they show the negative impact that drought and extreme heat events have had on agricultural production in the recent past, and that these events have a greater impact in developed countries. The paper is already receiving a lot of coverage in the press (McGill,UBC,New York Times). Congratulations Corey, Pedram, and Navin!
October 27, 2015
Navin was recently invited to discuss agriculture in the context of climate change on TVOs The Agenda. You can watch the interview here.
Navin was recently invited to discuss agriculture in the context of climate change on TVOs The Agenda. You can watch the interview here.
June 4, 2015
We will be welcoming two new students this coming fall: Vincent Ricciardi, who will be starting a PhD, and Kalifi Ferreti-Gallon, who will be starting a MSc. Also joining us is Zia Mehrabi, who will be joining the lab as a postdoc. A warm welcome to you all!
We will be welcoming two new students this coming fall: Vincent Ricciardi, who will be starting a PhD, and Kalifi Ferreti-Gallon, who will be starting a MSc. Also joining us is Zia Mehrabi, who will be joining the lab as a postdoc. A warm welcome to you all!
May 12, 2015
The first PhD out of the LUGE group, congrats to Jean-Sébastien for successfully defending! A very proud day for Navin as well, as it is his first PhD student to defend.
The first PhD out of the LUGE group, congrats to Jean-Sébastien for successfully defending! A very proud day for Navin as well, as it is his first PhD student to defend.
May 13, 2015
Jordan's latest work on mapping recent cropland and pasture trends in Latin America has been featured by UBC news
Jordan's latest work on mapping recent cropland and pasture trends in Latin America has been featured by UBC news
April 12, 2015
Congratulations to Thomas for successfully completing his MSc! He will be missed by the LUGE team, and we all wish you the best of luck in your next adventure!
Congratulations to Thomas for successfully completing his MSc! He will be missed by the LUGE team, and we all wish you the best of luck in your next adventure!
January 25, 2015
Congratulations to Navin, who has just been selected as one of the 2015 Leopold Leadership Fellows! He will be one of 20 North American environmental researchers participating in this year's program, which offers intensive leadership training in the areas of science communication and stakeholder engagement. You can read more about the program here. Way to go Navin!
Congratulations to Navin, who has just been selected as one of the 2015 Leopold Leadership Fellows! He will be one of 20 North American environmental researchers participating in this year's program, which offers intensive leadership training in the areas of science communication and stakeholder engagement. You can read more about the program here. Way to go Navin!
June 20, 2014
Navin is taking up a faculty position at the University of British Columbia starting July 1, 2014. He will be cross-appointed at the Liu Institute for Global Issues and the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability. The LUGE lab is making a transition: Some people are moving to Vancouver with Navin, while others are saying goodbye. We are all sad to be ending our nice story in Montreal, but also excited about new beginnings in Vancouver. Our lab had one last hurrah - we went on one last 'retreat' (okay, we went for a hike and an overnight stay at a cabin), you can see pictures here (and thanks to Jeanine Rhemtulla's lab for this inspiration).
Navin is taking up a faculty position at the University of British Columbia starting July 1, 2014. He will be cross-appointed at the Liu Institute for Global Issues and the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability. The LUGE lab is making a transition: Some people are moving to Vancouver with Navin, while others are saying goodbye. We are all sad to be ending our nice story in Montreal, but also excited about new beginnings in Vancouver. Our lab had one last hurrah - we went on one last 'retreat' (okay, we went for a hike and an overnight stay at a cabin), you can see pictures here (and thanks to Jeanine Rhemtulla's lab for this inspiration).
June 18, 2014
A LUGE lab group project looking at urban agriculture has just been published! You can find it here.
A LUGE lab group project looking at urban agriculture has just been published! You can find it here.
2014
And just like that, he was gone! Dr. Toshichika Iizumi, a visiting scholar who has spent the past 8 months with the LUGE lab, is heading home to Japan. A crop modeler, Dr. Iizumi spent his time at McGill working on the impacts of climate change and variability on crop yields. It was great having you Toshi, we hope to see you again!
And just like that, he was gone! Dr. Toshichika Iizumi, a visiting scholar who has spent the past 8 months with the LUGE lab, is heading home to Japan. A crop modeler, Dr. Iizumi spent his time at McGill working on the impacts of climate change and variability on crop yields. It was great having you Toshi, we hope to see you again!
January 20, 2014
Navin has a new blog post up on the CGIAR website! Charting the agricultural land of South America discusses the relevance (and challenges) of mapping agricultural land
Navin has a new blog post up on the CGIAR website! Charting the agricultural land of South America discusses the relevance (and challenges) of mapping agricultural land
2013
LUGE researchers have been carrying out field work in India over the past several months. You can hear more about their experiences here:
LUGE researchers have been carrying out field work in India over the past several months. You can hear more about their experiences here:
Photo credit: Thomas Fox
May 10, 2012
PhD student, Verena Seufert, led a study published recently in Nature comparing organic versus conventional yields from 316 different paired observations. While the overall result was that organic yields were 25% lower than conventional yields, the organic-to-conventional yield gap was highly contextual. For example, we found that perennials and legumes had lower yield gaps, probably because of their better ability to deal with nitrogen limitations. Similarly, organic system performance was better in rainfed systems and in soils that were neither too acidic or alkaline.
McGill University press release
New York Times blog
Los Angeles Times
BBC
Scientific American
Time magazine blog
Voice of America
CNN
Radio Canada International
AFP
Montreal Gazette
PhD student, Verena Seufert, led a study published recently in Nature comparing organic versus conventional yields from 316 different paired observations. While the overall result was that organic yields were 25% lower than conventional yields, the organic-to-conventional yield gap was highly contextual. For example, we found that perennials and legumes had lower yield gaps, probably because of their better ability to deal with nitrogen limitations. Similarly, organic system performance was better in rainfed systems and in soils that were neither too acidic or alkaline.
McGill University press release
New York Times blog
Los Angeles Times
BBC
Scientific American
Time magazine blog
Voice of America
CNN
Radio Canada International
AFP
Montreal Gazette
2013
Our group is involved in two major new research projects. One is through a collaboration with the University of Minnesota’s Global Landscapes Initiative, through funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, to improve our understanding of the relationships between agriculture and the environment. The second, GEOSHARE, is a collaboration between multiple institutions to develop a global, open-source, database on agricultural land use, environment, and poverty.
Our group is involved in two major new research projects. One is through a collaboration with the University of Minnesota’s Global Landscapes Initiative, through funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, to improve our understanding of the relationships between agriculture and the environment. The second, GEOSHARE, is a collaboration between multiple institutions to develop a global, open-source, database on agricultural land use, environment, and poverty.
Tropical forests were the primary sources of new agricultural land in the 1980s and 1990s
A news article published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences states global demand for agricultural products such as food, feed and fuel is now a major driver of cropland and pasture expansion across much of the developing world. Researchers, including Navin Ramankutty, examined pathways of agricultural expansion across major tropical forest regions. The researchers found that between 1980 and 2000 more than 55 percent of new agricultural land came at the expense of intact forests, while another 28 percent came from disturbed forests. Read more here or view the Stanford University News Release.
A news article published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences states global demand for agricultural products such as food, feed and fuel is now a major driver of cropland and pasture expansion across much of the developing world. Researchers, including Navin Ramankutty, examined pathways of agricultural expansion across major tropical forest regions. The researchers found that between 1980 and 2000 more than 55 percent of new agricultural land came at the expense of intact forests, while another 28 percent came from disturbed forests. Read more here or view the Stanford University News Release.
Our research program was featured on Télé-Québec’s television program, “Le Code Chastenay" (émission 51: “Cartographe”). It was originally broadcast on Feb 9, 2010. A link to the video is available here.
Research paper, "Ellis, E. C., and N. Ramankutty, Putting people in the map: anthropogenic biomes of the world, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, in press" was covered by several news agencies:
McGill University New Release
Encyclopedia of Earth
Science Magazine Random Samples
Wired News blog
Discovery Channel News feature
Ecological Society of America (ESA) News & Views
Anthromes Project website
Scientific American
Quoted in U.S. News and World Report, April 2007: Greening the World
McGill University New Release
Encyclopedia of Earth
Science Magazine Random Samples
Wired News blog
Discovery Channel News feature
Ecological Society of America (ESA) News & Views
Anthromes Project website
Scientific American
Quoted in U.S. News and World Report, April 2007: Greening the World
Research paper, "Narisma, G.T., J.A. Foley, R. Licker, and N. Ramankutty. Abrupt changes in rainfall during the twentieth century. Geophysical Research Letters 34, L06710, doi:10.1029/2006GL028628, 2007" was covered by several news agencies:
University of Wisconsin News Release
Newscientist.com
Science's "Editor's Pick of the Week - 20 April 2007"
University of Wisconsin News Release
Newscientist.com
Science's "Editor's Pick of the Week - 20 April 2007"
