Richard Waite
Senior Research Associate, Food Program
Rich is a Senior Research Associate in WRI's Food and Climate Programs. He is an author of the World Resources Report: Creating a Sustainable Food Future, which focuses on solutions to feed 10 billion people by 2050, including boosting agricultural productivity, reducing food loss and waste, shifting toward plant-rich diets, and protecting and restoring forests and other natural ecosystems. He is the Data Lead for Coolfood, an initiative helping more than 60 food providers reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions in line with climate science. He led the development of Coolfood’s GHG emissions calculation method, and leads annual data collection, climate impact analysis, and engagement with scientific partners. Rich is also an author of the draft Greenhouse Gas Protocol Land Sector and Removals Guidance, and a member of the steering committee for the Science Based Targets Network Land Hub developing corporate targets for nature. He previously was a researcher for WRI's Coastal Capital project, which quantified the economic value of coastal ecosystems. He shares WRI's research insights on Twitter and Mastodon.
Prior to joining WRI in 2007, Rich lived in Cameroon for four years, where he served as an agroforestry extension agent with the U.S. Peace Corps and helped coordinate the U.S. Embassy’s international development programs.
Rich holds an M.A. in International Development Studies, with concentrations in Environment and Food Security, from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, and a B.A. from Hamilton College.
Insights
Research
External Publications
Projects
Coastal Capital: Economic Valuation of Coastal Ecosystems in the Caribbean
Visit ProjectSupporting the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems by quantifying their economic value.
Part of FreshwaterBetter Buying Lab
Visit ProjectCooking up cutting-edge strategies that enable consumers to buy and consume more sustainable foods.
Part of FoodCoolfood
Launch PlatformLaunch Platform Visit ProjectCoolfood helps people and organizations reduce the climate impact of their food through shifting toward more plant-rich diets.
Part of FoodGreenhouse Gas Protocol
Launch PlatformLaunch Platform Visit ProjectThe global standard for companies and organizations to measure and manage their GHG emissions and become more efficient, resilient and prosperous.
Part of Climate