Under the FoSTA Health project, Hemant Tripathi & Steve Sait are working with international partners to explore the role of woodlands in maintaining natural predator populations. Woodlands within agricultural landscapes can reduce risk of pests (mosquitoes & ticks) within central Zambia. 👇

This research is important because it can help inform farmers' use of pest and disease control methods, especially in areas where agricultural land is expanding and harmful chemical pesticides are increasingly overused as a pest management strategy. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... 👇

Intercropping legumes within primary crops and using grasses at field margins can reduce crop pests because of the respective effects these plants have on target species. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Olufemi Adesina is working with International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Kenya on how the push-pull approach in agroecological practices can reduce crop pest pressure. 👇

A key focus of agroecological practice is understanding ecosystem functions. Researchers are studying how plant-level treatments, field-level crop compositions & landscape-scale structures & vegetation interact to influence crop pest & disease risks. fosta-health.eu/index.php/bl... 👇

Find out more about the work to drive civic change across local food systems: Effie's research profile environment.leeds.ac.uk/see/staff/14... Sara's research profile environment.leeds.ac.uk/geography/st... Sonja / FoodWise profile foodwiseleeds.org/about/

Dr Effie Papargyropoulou engages with policymakers at local & national level, providing research evidence to support food policy change. She co-developed a tool to measure social, environmental & economic impact of local food initiatives that transform urban food systems by empowering citizens 👇

Prof @sgonzalezsara.bsky.social focuses on transforming the food system by collaborating with local groups & policymakers to support civic change. She’s on the FoodWise Steering Group, which recently focused on public food procurement—schools & hospitals buying nutritious, locally produced food. 👇

Sonja Woodcock is the Coordinator at FoodWise Leeds. FoodWise collaborates with GFEI, Leeds City Council, & third sector & community partners to build a good food movement. Together we produced the Leeds Food Strategy – a citywide approach for health, food security, the economy, & net zero. 👇

Food justice: equitable access to healthy, sustainable & affordable food. Our researchers work with community-based partners to explore how research can have real terms impact on place-based, community-led food initiatives. We interviewed 2 researchers & a community-based partner to hear more 👇

Throughout October, we are spotlighting some of the ways our researchers are supporting agroecological transitions in Africa. Agroecology enhances food production resilience to extreme weather events & pest infestations, and improves biodiversity, soil health & nutritional properties of foods. 👇

Thirze Hermans explored farmer-led approaches to soil health in Malawi by co-developing soil health evaluation tools, blending local farmers' knowledge with on-farm research trials to improve understanding of contextualised soil nutrient processes. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 👇

The authors stress that success will require integrating farmers, policymakers, industry, & researchers in long-term, co-designed experiments with robust metrics to track progress. Read the issue: royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rstb/202... Read the paper: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

Staff & students met with employees & business owners across Whitby, Scarborough, & Hull, from growing seaweed off the Yorkshire coast, a Lobster Hatchery, a food bank, & an urban community garden in Hull. Find out more about the course: courses.leeds.ac.uk/j786/sustain...

As part of the course, students have access to world-leading University of Leeds researchers whose research spans the global food system. This film 👇, produced by Dr Rory Padfield, captures the 2024/25 cohort's summer 2025 fieldtrip to the Yorkshire Coast. youtu.be/4b9-UN5etCw?... 👇

Did you know we offer an MSc course in Sustainable Food Systems and Food Security? The course offers an interdisciplinary and holistic systems-thinking approach to understand and evaluate the complexity of the food system. 👇

During our International Food Systems Research Week, we welcomed visitors from South Africa, Zambia, Malawi & Tanzania—spanning academia, industry & government. We focused on research & innovation collaboration opportunities across academia, industry & key policy themes medium.com/globalfoodle...

At the University of Leeds Research Farm, researchers work with UK farmers to co-design #RegenerativeAgriculture trials under the FixOurFood programme. These trials explore how regen ag impacts soil & crop health—and the real-world challenges farmers face 🌱 www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVDn... 👇

"It goes back to those structural inequalities and how we have designed our cities, our towns, and where investment has gone in" says @effie25.bsky.social in the latest episode of our new podcast series "Hunger at your doorstep". Listen to the full episode here: www.tabledebates.org/podcast/epis...

In collaboration with the Food Ethics Council, we've co-authored a blog on the right to food in the UK. It explains what the right to food is, how we can achieve it, & emphasises that ensuring the right to food is the responsibility of UK Government, not the third sector. medium.com/globalfoodle...

Check out the films by: - Inn Churches - Feeding Bradford and Keighley - Catholic Care - Horton Community Farm - Eyarun Nessa (Eden Association) 👉 Films: youtube.com/playlist?lis... 👉 More on the project: environment.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/r...

GFEI spotlight: Dr Rory Padfield is an Associate Professor in Sustainability & Business. As an interdisciplinary social scientist, he explores themes of social & environmental justice, sustainability in business & organisations, and storytelling & communication. 👇

Discover how the new “Food Hub Impact Evaluation Toolkit” empowers food hubs such as food banks, social supermarkets, and community gardens, to measure and enhance their impact within their local communities. #FoodHubs #LocalFood #CommunityDevelopment Read the full study for free: shorturl.at/8oJa7

PhD funding opportunity 📢 Working with Leeds City Council and FoodWise Leeds, the project will focus on exploring the social value of sustainable food public procurement - A case study of Leeds. Find out more and apply: phd.leeds.ac.uk/funding/410-... Deadline: Fri 14th March

Three fantastic PhD scholarships @lssi.bsky.social @envleeds.bsky.social looking at alternative approaches to achieve a sustainable, collective and fair economies. Come to Leeds! @mmbuchs.bsky.social @rbaernthaler.bsky.social @effie25.bsky.social S Youssef, L Waite and myself. Deadline 14th March

Finally made it to Bluesky and my first post is to announce a fully funded PhD scholarship! on the social value of public food procurement @universityofleeds.bsky.social with @effie25.bsky.social @foodwiseleeds.bsky.social and @leedscitycouncil.bsky.social. Deadline 14th of March shorturl.at/yL5gB

University of Leeds has won 3 ESRC funded collaborative studentships. Working with Leeds Food Partnership, Leeds City Council & New Economics Foundation, this supports our strong commitment to collaborative research with partners in private, public, or 3rd sectors. Deadline: 14/3/25 bit.ly/3Q7Mytt

Our March webinar is now open for registration. Join us Wed 19 March, 12.00pm to hear Prof Laura Carter on a recent ground-breaking study that explored the extent of organic contaminants in agricultural soils. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/emerging-c...

On the 26th Feb Dr Carrie Bradshaw will be delivering a fascinating webinar about Good Samaritan laws and surplus #food at @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social. Sign up and read more below👇 @lsjleeds.bsky.social #AcademicSky #LawSky #Environment

Our latest newsletter is now available! - Check out the blog by Dr @andynewinguol.bsky.social -Should we let supermarkets know who we are in return for better deals? - Farm updates, incl. a visit from Dept. Energy Security & Net Zero - Research updates & more! sway.cloud.microsoft/dh0cFprO5J6e...

#DYK we run a Masters degree in Sustainable Food Systems and Food Security? There is global demand for sustainable food systems. Organisations are looking for qualified experts to help solve some of the greatest challenges we’re facing in food today. 👉 courses.leeds.ac.uk/j786/sustain... 1/5

Are you registered for our Feb webinar? Join us 26 Feb, 12.00-12.40pm to hear Dr Carrie Bradshaw, @lawatleeds.bsky.social, deliver 'Good Samaritan laws and surplus food - a solution in need of a problem?'. Register for free here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/good-samar....

Join us on Tuesday (21st, 1 pm GMT) for the online launch of Global Panel report on 'Building Resilience and Enhancing Nutrition in Africa’s food systems' w/ insights from Malawi, Sierra Leone & Ethiopia on next steps for strengthening African food system resilience www.glopan.org/africa-resil...

Kevin Morgan has been researching public sector food procurement #foodsystems #foodpolicy for longer than most, so should have good insights into where we are now (and why it is proving so hard to realise potential more broadly)...

By focusing almost exclusively on "moonshot" technological innovations to produce more food, this initiative does little to address the leading political and economic drivers of world hunger such as conflict, economic shocks, and inequality in food systems. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Please join us in congratulating Sam Birch on their receipt of the 'Steven Banwart Prize' for best overall mark on the MSc Sustainable Food Systems course. Sam is graduating today and won the prize for their overall mark. 1/4

If at ORFC, pls join us at "Real Voices on the Right to Food" 4pm Thurs (Seminar Room, Cheng Building) w/ @bethbell.bsky.social, Kay Johnson, @deewoods.bsky.social & Pete Ritchie. I'll also be at Emergent Generation's networking hour for emerging leaders & sector supporters, 6pm Thurs (Cheng Cafe)

Are you taking part in #Veganuary?   In the latest episode of our “How to fix...” podcast series, host Rich Williams is joined by experts Anwesha Sarkar, Louise Dye, and Derek Stewart to talk about the future of protein.  Listen now 👇  listen.podmasters.uk/HTFCleanAir?...

A short explainer of FoodLadders. youtu.be/q9hbTXeBZjU?...

Does what we eat matter when it comes to climate? Yuanyuan Dong, Postgraduate Researcher, School of Food Science & Nutrition, reflects on the discussions at #COP29 and the topic of food systems and their role in the climate crisis. Read the full blog on our Medium page: medium.com/globalfoodle...

Are you registered for our 22 Jan webinar? Dr Alvarez will introduce the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre, which aims to secure a continuous supply of safe, tasty, & healthy proteins, & futureproof the UK’s food & animal feed security. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/national-a...