Cody Gusto

Cody Gusto, PhD, joined AFT in November 2026 as a Program Evaluation Specialist. Cody is an applied social scientist and program evaluation specialist helping to build capacity for AFT’s ongoing research and evaluation efforts, and guide how the organization strategically assesses and communicates its long-term impact. Cody received his doctoral degree in Agricultural Education and Communication, with a specialization in Extension Education, from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

Prior to joining AFT, Cody supported research and evaluation projects across regenerative agriculture, food and nutrition access, farmworker health and safety, and natural resource conservation contexts. Examples include a disaster-resilience needs assessment with migrant farmworker communities for a regional health and advocacy organization; a consensus-building evaluation with farmers and landowners for a multi-state agricultural conservation initiative; and a series of facilitated cross-sector expert panel studies with diverse audiences including homeowner association leaders, aquatic engineers, landscape professionals, and Extension educators. Across this work, Cody has relied on participatory evaluation and assessment methods such as group facilitation, consensus-building, and appreciative narrative inquiry. Cody is actively engaged with his food system community in Gainesville, Florida, where he lives with his wife and two children.