Agriculture and Food Security (Research)

Our research and associated education and engagement are in two broad themes – Food System Transformation and Healthy People, Healthy Planet. We especially focus on the interactions between the two.

Improving the effectiveness and sustainability of agri-food systems is vital to tackling the challenges of:

• global population growth

• rapid urbanisation

• food and environmental security

• diet and health

These challenges occur in low- and middle-income countries, as well as in more industrialised nations.

Achieving sustainable, healthy diets underpins many of the Sustainable Development Goals – especially those concerned with:

• hunger

• poverty

• health

• gender equality

• responsible consumption and production

• climate action

We welcome applicants whose research interests are aligned to address one or more of these challenges, and who hold the potential to develop and translate scientific advances into policy and practice.

Most of our research is interdisciplinary in its approach, and we collaborate with Schools and groups across the University of Edinburgh, and with a wide range of national and international partners.

Our current specific expertise spans:

• nutrition and health of humans, livestock, crops and soils

• environmental and agri-food systems

• crop and livestock production systems

• climate smart agriculture

• agricultural and natural resource economics

• development

• data science and mathematical modelling

• the science-policy interface

• food and land rights and law

We welcome applicants with interests in these areas. Please also see staff webpages for more details of potential supervisor research interests.