Kate Anderson is the Senior Researcher in Sightline Institute’s Farms and Forests program, leading the organization’s work on rural lands and economies. She is an expert on institutional tools that jointly promote vibrant rural communities and environmental sustainability.

Before joining Sightline, Kate was a researcher and instructor of agroecology, environmental sociology, and natural resource governance at University of California, Berkeley, and University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has researched climate, biodiversity, water, and land use for the National Science Foundation’s Long-Term Ecological Research program, the United Nations Development Program, and the Brazilian government. Her most recent work focused on supply management and associational democracy in the farm sector, including policy reform in the organic dairy sector and bringing fair pricing to the food system. Kate has a PhD in sociology, a PhD in Environment and Resources, and a master’s degree in agricultural and applied economics. She also has hands-on experience working in lumber mills and on farms.

Kate lives in Edmonds, Washington, and spends her weekends foraging, fiddling, and dancing tango.

Kate's Articles