Begg, Caroline
Faculty Lecturer;
Director of Stage, Farm Management and Technology Program
"Plants, soils and microbes are essential components of our agriculture and food systems. I am passionate about incorporating a system's approach into understanding how we can have healthier soils, plants and animals. We need to make our agriculture resilient in the face of ongoing climate change. "
Caroline Begg, PhD, is a Faculty Lecturer in the Department of Plant Science and Director of Internship (FMT). Dr Begg has worked in the field of sustainable agriculture in Tanzania and the Philippines. Her main interest is in ecological agriculture; other research interests include the relationships between spatial patterns of crop and soil parameters in agricultural fields. Dr Begg conducts research on food security on the island of Montreal and on ecological agriculture practices focusing on soil and crop management. Caroline teaches a number of courses both at the degree and the college level and supervises 10 to 15 undergraduate projects including Honours theses per year. She is the mentor to the Macdonald Student-Run Ecological Garden (MSEG). Caroline is president of the Marché Ste Anne, a growing farmers market located in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue and Vice president of École-O-Champ, an agricultural education organization which is the official representative of Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC) in Quebec.. As well, she serves on the Board of Corbeille de Pain, a food security organization in the West Island.
Caroline Begg is also:
- Co-Director of the Barbados Interdisciplinary Tropics Studies Program, McGill
- Coordinator and Advisor for the Ecological Agriculture certificate
- Coordinator for the Ecological Agriculture Specialization and minor
- Mentor (Academic), Food Production and Environment Domain, McGill School of the Environment
- Associate Member, McGill School of the Environment, AES
- Member of the McGill Sustainability System Initiative
Active Affiliations:
- Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA)
- Canadian Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (CANCID)
- Canadian Organic Growers
- President, Marché Ste-Anne (Farmers' Market)
- Member of the Executive Board, Corbeille de Pain / Bread Basket Lac St Louis
- B.Sc.(Agr) (McGill)
- M.Sc. (Sask)
- Ph.D. (McGill)
- 2019: Award of Excellence, Honourable Mention- Outstanding Post-Secondary Educator, Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication
- 2016: Principal’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching
- 2016: Macdonald Campus Award for Teaching Excellence
- 2013: McGill Faculty Award for Excellence in Alumni Activities
- 2012: McGill Office of Sustainability Award for Staff Contribution to Sustainability
- 2007: Canadian Association of Diplomas in Agriculture Programs Award for Teaching Excellence
- 2004: CANCID plaque in recognition of outstanding contribution to sustainability of land resources
University Committees
- Adjudication Committee - Principal's Prize for Excellence in Teaching (PPET) (2020-2023)
- Steering Committee Member for the Margaret A. Gilliam Institute for Global Food Security of McGill University 2020-ongoing
- McGill Sustainability Project Fund Governing Council faculty member (2017 -2021)
- Bicentennial Student Sustainability Challenge (Impact200) Committee, McGill (2019-ongoing)
- Brace Centre for Water Resources Management Academic Committee
- McGill Sustainability Coordinating Group
- Procurement Sustainability Planning Core Team
Outreach
Dr. Begg is the mentor to two Macdonald Campus clubs: the Macdonald Livestock Judging Club, and the Macdonald Student-Run Ecological Garden (MSEG).
- President, Marché Ste-Anne (Farmers' Market)
- Member of the Executive Board, Corbeille de Pain / Bread Basket Lac St Louis
- Vice-President École-O-Champ
- Industry advisory member of the 4-H Quebec executive board
Dr Begg's main interest is in ecological agriculture and in food security; other research interests include the relationships between spatial patterns of crop and soil parameters in agricultural fields. Her goal is to increase agricultural producers' awareness of variability within the field and the impact this has on crop growth and sustainable agriculture.
Dr Begg conducts research on food security on the island of Montreal and on ecological agriculture practices focusing on soil and crop management. Her additional interest is in the relationships between spatial patterns of crop and soil parameters in agricultural fields and using GIS to identify interactions.