Committed to making food markets more nutritious globally.
A digital curriculum vitae
A little bio
Jessica Agnew, PhD, MSc, MPH, BA
Ideation | Responsibility | Connectedness | Positivity | Belief
I started my career in food on the preparation side - working as a chef in kitchens, running a small catering operation, and making wedding cakes for close friends. While working at a small restaurant in Harrison Hot Springs, British Colombia, I began working with local farmers to bring their food into our restaurant. Producers of cheese, honey, beef, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers, to name just a few, had so much pride and commitment to producing quality food. This got me thinking about farmers around the world who, by mere chance, have been born into lives that consist of many challenges in accessing resources, fair and equitable markets, and new technology. Yet they have the same passion and dedication to food production. It was then that I switched paths, from hospitality and tourism management to food, agriculture, and resource economics at the University of Guelph. Now, I continue to work in food from the production to household consumption, bringing with me a deep understanding of the cultural, societal, and personal relationships that we have with the things we eat.
Since 2014, my research has focused on:
Agri-food value chains that support food security and nutrition
Market-based approaches to nutrition
Policy enabling environments
Health education and behaviour
I am currently the Associate Director for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Global Program at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. In addition to working with Virginia Tech faculty and students to enrich communities and livelihoods in Virginia and beyond, I also run a business, BUY2THRIVE, that seeks to improve health globally by connecting low-income consumers with markets for nutrition.
New & Noteworthy
Research & Publications
There are few other fictional literary dialogues that have resonated as strongly with me as when the Red Queen tells Alice that sometimes she’s believed as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast in Alice in Wonderland. Desire for tackling the impossible, developing new ideas, and finding opportunities for innovation energize me, especially when collaborating with other dedicated individuals. Find out more about my past and current projects such as the Kenyan blockchain vegetable project, Virginia Tech Food Access and Security pilot, BUY2THRIVE in Mozambique, and nutrition-oriented businesses in Kenya and Bangladesh.
Teaching & Service
Teaching, both at higher education institutions and in communities, is one of my greatest passions. I have been teaching undergraduates since I was a master’s student in 2015. More recently, my attentions have turned to nutrition and health education. In both, my commitment is to find ways to engage students and community members using innovative pedagogy to facilitate long-term learning, autonomy-based capacity building, and empowering environments. Equally, service in both an academic and community contexts is also important to me.
Get In Touch
My position at Virginia Tech affords me flexible ways to develop projects that meet the needs and expertise of partners. If you are interested in partnering in any capacity, are interested in the results and findings of any of my work, are interested in guest lectures or talks, or have any other ideas for partnering, please do not hesitate to reach out. Looking forward to connecting!