Christopher Peter Sauer

Chris is a PhD candidate working across both UQ’s School of Law and its ARC ITT Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods to analyse the use of specific designations and marks for the protection and promotion of local and indigenous foods whether trademarks, geographical indications of origin or alternative forms. Using Tucson's UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation as a case study, Chris makes recommendations for how marks can improve the capacity to build agricultural productivity and food security. 

While studying anthropology at the University of Arizona (BA Hons) Chris conducted research on Mexican Indigenous people's historic and current activity within a mangrove estuary located within multiple Mexican federal protected territories. Previously, as the owner of a commercial real estate brokerage in Arizona, Chris developed several construction projects, focusing on leasing to arts organisations, restaurants and food businesses. 

Project Title: Using marks and designations to build and sustain local food and agriculture.  

Supervisors: Professor Brad Sherman, Dr Allison Fish, Professor Yasmina Sultanbawa.