Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/R007160/1
Linking sustainable food with food waste in policy; a NERC innovation placement in WRAP.
Fellowship Award
- Fellow:
- Dr C Reynolds, University of Sheffield, Geography
- Grant held at:
- University of Sheffield, Geography
- Science Area:
- Atmospheric
- Earth
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Unknown
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- Sustainable agriculture
- Agricultural systems
- Public health
- Diet & health
- Packaging
- Supply chain
- Food waste reduction
- Food processing
- Food processing
- Shelf life of food
- Abstract:
- Globally, producing food accounts for 70% of water use, 90% of land use and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. On the current trajectory, food production will need to increase by 60-100% in the next 35 years, posing questions for the sustainability or even viability of such a future food system. Concurrently, present consumption patterns cause large environmental and societal issues. Up to a third of the resources used to produce food could be saved by eliminating food waste[1]. However, much food is also 'lost' to over-consumption. Both the quantity and the types of food consumed in the UK are not aligned with what our bodies need, or what our environment can best and most efficiently provide. Numerous scientific reports have shown that we cannot 'fix' the climate, unless we also 'fix' the 'western' eating patterns[2]. The externalities of the over-consumption of food products are borne by society [3](e.g. through public health costs, direct and indirect emissions contributing to climate change, deforestation to clear land for agriculture), and as such for social, environmental and economic reasons, policies changes are required to increase the efficiency of supply chains, reduce waste and shift food choices. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is the UK's leading body on food waste prevention, and has been a key global actor, working with governments, businesses and communities to deliver positive change, including national campaigns and industry-wide commitments. This innovation placement offers WRAP the opportunity to broaden its areas of capacity to include aspects of sustainable food production and consumption, specifically, shifting food choices via healthy sustainable diets and their interaction with food waste reduction. This represents a change of agenda for WRAP, which compliments their core programme of food waste reduction, and shifts WRAP to being a trusted and globally recognised voice on sustainable food policy. For this innovation placement, Dr Christian Reynolds, a Knowledge Exchange Research Fellow, will synthesise the findings of NERC and UKRI funded research projects, into novel outputs and policy advice that are accessible to WRAP and its industry partners. Dr Reynolds is a food waste and sustainable diets specialist, and is familiar with the academic research, data and skills in the University of Sheffield, the N8 Agrifood project and the broader UK research community. Dr Reynolds is located within the University of Sheffield Sustainable Food Futures which tackles global food security through integrated interdisciplinary investigations of agrifood systems. N8 Agrifood project is an interdisciplinary research programme that combines world-leading crop and livestock research with extensive expertise in social sciences across 8 research intensive universities (Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York). The N8Agrifood is focused on ensuring national and global agrifood supply chains in the face of environmental and socioeconomic challenges. The N8 have recently been awarded NERC and BBSRC funding via the IknowFood programme (York). The innovation placement will connect the research capacity of NERC, via the N8 to WRAP and their industry partners, and add value to WRAPs current operations and policy development. Key areas where Dr Reynolds will assist include: 1)Portions and packaging-their effects on diet and food waste 2)Untangling the relationship between what people eat and what they waste 3)Developing policy advice and industry agreements based on academic research, evidence and data. This includes collaboration with UK and global partners [1]Institution of Mechanical Engineers, "Global food - Waste not, want not" London, 2013 [2]T. Garnett, "Plating up solutions," Science (80-.)., vol. 353, no. 6305, 2016 [3]NERC research: Grow your own-health risks and benefits of producing and consuming your own food in urban areas(Sheffield),IKnowFood (York
- NERC Reference:
- NE/R007160/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Knowledge Exchange Fellowships
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Innovation Placements
This fellowship award has a total value of £26,710
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| DI - Staff | Exception - T&S |
|---|---|
| £15,842 | £10,867 |
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