What we grow, how we eat, and what we teach about food are three of the biggest levers for a sustainable future. Our researchers work across all three, from greenhouse, to plate to classroom.

Growing food fit for the future

Tackling the technology, policy and adoption barriers facing UK greenhouse growers, and providing the evidence base policymakers rely on for UK food production.

This research is:

Helping everyone eat well, sustainably

Exploring barriers and facilitators to accessing healthy, sustainable diets, both in the community and within organisations and institutions that have considerable responsibility for feeding the workforce, students or service users. Work spans policy, food choice, food security and health.

This research is

  • expanding understanding of the barriers and facilitators to accessing and consuming a healthy and sustainable diet
  • providing opportunity for interdisciplinary work across data and communication themes, to identify ways to overcome barriers to sustainable consumption patterns, using data modelling techniques and communication strategies that resonate with consumers.
  • providing opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate student projects with food-based community interest companies and food networks across the region. This includes funded research internships for minoritised students’
  • informing curriculum and providing elective project opportunities in the MSc Public Health Nutrition and BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Health

Rethinking food through education

Exploring the relationship between food choices, education and social justice, with a particular focus on veganism as a worldview and the experiences of vegan learners in schools, colleges and universities. We examine the extent to which veganism remains overlooked, excluded or marginalised within sustainability education, environmental policy discussions and educational resources, despite the substantial evidence linking food systems and animal agriculture to climate and environmental challenges.

 This research is

  • developing the evidence base for inclusive educational practice (e.g. Vegan Voices in Education (book)) and teacher education programmes
  • investigating how schools, colleges and universities can better support diverse dietary and ethical identities.

Research collaboration and supervisions:

Get involved  Got a food sustainability challenge, a collaboration idea, a research degree question or a student project in mind? Get in touch with the SustainNET team.