Peter Vandergeest is Professor of Geography at York University, in Toronto, Canada. His research over the past 30 years has focused on agrarian and environmental transformations in Southeast Asia, with specific attention to livelihoods in relation to environmental governance.

In addition to his current research on fisheries and aquaculture, he has also published widely on the history of forestry in Southeast Asia, and on alternative agriculture and agrarian transformations. He is currently directing a program of research to assess new directions in environmental governance in mainland Southeast Asia, focusing on roles of non-state actors and growing use of market mechanisms in emerging governance regimes.

The research is funded by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.