Zane Swanson

Fellow, Global Food and Water Security Program
Jon B. Alterman

Zane Swanson is a fellow with the Global Food and Water Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he investigates the causes and consequences of food and water insecurity in the United States and globally. Dr. Swanson holds a BA in anthropology from Boston University and received his PhD in evolutionary anthropology from Duke University in 2021, where his research focused on the socio-ecological relationships between health, the environment, and lifestyle transitions of pastoralist communities living in rural Kenya. He hails from Sherman, Connecticut.

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Executive Education

Global Foresight: Preparing for Future Trends

Global Foresight: Preparing for Future Trends is Washington’s premier executive course for mid-to senior-level professionals responsible for helping their organizations predict and prepare for the global macrotrends that will drive change for the next 30 years.

Course Date: April 8, 2024
Registration Closes: March 29, 2024

Living the Global Water Crisis

Join the CSIS Global Food and Water Security Program to discuss the themes of this year’s World Water Day and the tools that researchers and decisionmakers are using to bring human voices to the growing risks to global water security. Featuring Dr. Sera Young.

Event — March 22, 2024

Troubling Waters: Understanding Global Water Security

As the ramifications of the global water crisis grow in scope and severity, understanding the manifold and devastating consequences of water insecurity—in all its forms—is increasingly critical to safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of billions around the world.

Digital Report by Zane Swanson and Sarah Grace — February 12, 2024

Food Sharing: Human Evolution and Achieving Food Security for All

The development of food sharing was central to human evolution, leading to the emergence of many physiological, behavioral, and psychological adaptations. Today, shaped by this evolutionary history, food sharing manifests in the ambition to achieve global food security.

Commentary by Zane Swanson — December 20, 2023

Mitigating Risk and Capturing Opportunity: The Future of Alternative Proteins

Global meat consumption is projected to rise in the coming decades, exacerbating risks and vulnerabilities of global food systems. Experts examine the role of alternative proteins in strengthening U.S. food systems, biosecurity, and economic resilience. 

Report by Zane Swanson, Caitlin Welsh, and Joseph Majkut — May 11, 2023

The Future Appetite for Alternative Proteins

As many countries seek more sustainable and resilient means of food production, alternative proteins may offer a solution.

Digital Report by Caitlin Welsh, Joseph Majkut, and Zane Swanson — May 4, 2023

Investments in the Future: Reversing the Dire State of Maternal Nutrition

Over one billion women and adolescent girls suffer from undernourishment. What consequences does this have on maternal and child health? What is needed to improve the dire state of global maternal nutrition?

Critical Questions by Anita Kirschenbaum, Zane Swanson, and Caitlin Welsh — April 14, 2023