Evelyn R. Nimmo, PhD
Evelyn is a multidisciplinary researcher with a PhD in Historical Archeology from the University of Reading, UK. In addition to being a Research Associate at the Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, she works as a collaborating professor in the Postgraduate Program in History at the State University of Ponta Grossa. She has been working with family farming communities in south-central Paraná and northern Santa Catarina to document traditional knowledge related to traditional food systems and agroecological production of erva-mate. Through collaborative research, such as oral history interviews, field days and workshops, she is dedicated to supporting the continuation of traditional production systems and valuing the important contribution that family farming makes to Brazilian society. Her work recognizes that traditional ecological knowledge and practices associated with traditional production systems offer models and strategies for re-imagining food systems to be sustainable and fair and bring ecological, socio-environmental as well as economic benefits. Evelyn acts as a liaison between international researchers focused on similar issues through her collaborative work with the UNESCO Chair in Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies, based at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada.