Thursday, 19 September 2024
A new food policy and foresight centre has been launched at the University of Nottingham to help address urgent food system challenges and improve livelihoods.
The Centre for Food Policy and Foresight unites over 50 distinguished experts from across the university, forming a multidisciplinary team dedicated to transforming food security, sustainability, and nutrition on both a national and global scale.
The new Centre will advance the development of evidence-based policy briefings and deliver distilled and practical policy recommendations for policymakers to act on, to help us attain a sustainable, ethical and environmentally friendly food system.
National and international food systems are confronted with pressures from all levels, and these multifaceted challenges require long-term system wide solutions that are environmentally positive, economically sustainable and societally beneficial.
(L-R) Sacha Mooney, Head of School of Biosciences; Paul Wilson, Director for Centre for Food Policy and Foresight; and Guillermina Mendiondo, CFPF Associate in Plant Sciences
The new centre will drive efforts to make the next 30 years of agricultural and food system research more beneficial to society, the environment and food system stakeholders.
This centre will be led by Professor Paul Wilson, Professor of Agricultural Economics in the School of Biosciences. His extensive experience includes over fifteen years directing the Farm Business Survey and his recent tenure as Head of the School of Biosciences at the university.
As the incoming President of the UK Society of Agricultural Economists, Professor Wilson is widely recognized for his contributions to the field.
Our new Centre for Food Policy and Foresight is designed to be a catalyst for change in how we approach food system challenges. We’re not just focusing on theoretical research; we’re committed to translating our findings into practical solutions that can be implemented by policymakers and industry leaders.
He added: “The Centre will develop strategies to address pressing issues like food security, sustainability, and nutrition—issues that affect people, every day. By influencing policy debates and shaping the future of food systems, we hope to create a world where access to healthy, sustainable food is the norm rather than the exception.”
Jack Bobo, Director of the University of Nottingham’s Food Systems Institute, also explained how the new centre will support food policy research.
He said: “The Centre for Food Policy and Foresight will be a driving force in shaping the future of our food systems. Our mission is to make a real, tangible impact on people's lives by ensuring that our research doesn't just remain in academic circles but is actively translated into policies that drive improvements in food security and sustainability.
"Policy is the key to scaling our research, allowing us to influence and implement changes that can address the everyday challenges people face—like the rising cost of food, the environmental impact of food production, and the nutritional quality of what we eat.
"Through this Centre, we aim to create a more sustainable and equitable food future, benefiting not only those in the UK but communities worldwide.”
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More information is available from Faith Pring in the Press Office on faith.pring@nottingham.ac.uk
Faith Pring - Media Relations Manager
Email: faith.pring@nottingham.ac.uk
Phone: 0115 748 4411
Location: University of Nottingham, University Park
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About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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