Meryl Richards, Ceres

Meryl Richards is Program Director for Food and Forests at US investor network Ceres, where she collaborates with investors and companies to address deforestation and climate change in global supply chains. She leads research on the climate impacts of agriculture and commodity-driven deforestation and how food companies can reduce the material risks associated with those impacts. Previously, Richards was a science officer with the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, where she led research on low-emissions agricultural development strategies. During that time, she also held an appointment as a Research Associate at the University of Vermont, where she remains an Affiliate of the Gund Institute for Environment. Richards holds a PhD in plant and soil science from the University of Vermont and a BA and BE in engineering from Dartmouth College.