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Tackling global food challenges

A valley in the Yorkshire Dales showing glowing sky, fields and rolling hills.

Professor Stephen Whitfield explores agroecological farming in Africa, a farming approaches which prioritises the natural ecosystem and traditional methods.

Read Supporting Agroecology Transitions in Africa

Global Food and Environment Institute

Global Food and Environment Institute

The Global Food and Environment Institute is a community of researchers and practitioners, within and beyond the University of Leeds, which collaboratively drives positive impact in the global food system. 

We are achieving positive societal and environmental impacts, globally and locally, by delivering ambitious and novel interdisciplinary research and innovation in sustainable food systems, and by training the next generation of food systems leaders through research-led education. We support the design and delivery of the MSc Sustainable Food Systems and Food Security.

Our research

Our areas of research reflect global challenges and current cross-disciplinary areas of research strength at the University. They include, but are not limited to:  

  • Food access and equity in urban systems, with a focus on community food provisioning, resilient and short supply chains, sustainable procurement and equitable access to food in cities and city-regions.
  • Climate change and food systems in Africa, with a focus on the impacts of climate change on food and nutrition security and agricultural livelihoods, and the ways in which such systems are adapting to climate change. 
  • Transitions to net zero and sustainable agriculture, with a focus on innovative practices, agroecological systems and novel technologies and utilizing experimental facilities at the University of Leeds Research Farm.  
  • Labour and workers’ rights in the food system, with a focus on the regulation of trade, and how this shapes experiences and organisational behaviour within international supply chains.

Collaborate with us

If you are interested in learning more about our research or working with us, you can become a member.

Extending the reach and impact of our research

We work with partners, locally and internationally, from across the food system. We aim to embed collaboration, knowledge exchange and real-world impact across our work.

Research spotlights

  • Sustainable food

    Explore projects led by researchers in the Faculty of Environment, from farming to influencing consumer behaviour and reducing waste.

    A researcher in lab clothing checking crops in a large growing facility

  • Smart farm

    Learn how we're working with partners across Europe to co-develop research programmes that address modern agricultural challenges.

    Overhead view of the University's Smart Farm.