Agriculture and Food Security PhD

Our research and associated education and engagement are in two broad themes – Food System Transformation and Healthy People, Healthy Planet, and especially the interactions between them.<br/><br/>Improving the effectiveness and sustainability of agri-food systems is vital to tackling the challenges of:<br/><br/><br/>- global population growth<br/><br/><br/>- rapid urbanisation<br/><br/><br/>- food and environmental security<br/><br/><br/>- diet and health<br/><br/><br/>These challenges occur in low and middle income countries, as well as in more industrialised nations.<br/><br/>Achieving sustainable, healthy diets underpins many of the Sustainable Development Goals – especially those concerned with:<br/><br/><br/>- hunger<br/><br/><br/>- poverty<br/><br/><br/>- health<br/><br/><br/>- gender equality<br/><br/><br/>- responsible consumption and production<br/><br/><br/>- climate action<br/><br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>Most of our research is interdisciplinary in its approach, and we collaborate with other Schools and groups across the University of Edinburgh, and with a wide range of national and international partners.<br/><br/>Our current specific expertise spans:<br/><br/><br/>- nutrition and health of humans, livestock, crops and soils<br/><br/><br/>- environmental and agri-food systems<br/><br/><br/>- crop and livestock production systems<br/><br/><br/>- climate smart agriculture<br/><br/><br/>- agricultural and natural resource economics<br/><br/><br/>- development<br/><br/><br/>- data science and mathematical modelling<br/><br/><br/>- the science-policy interface<br/><br/><br/>- food and land rights and law<br/><br/><br/>We welcome applicants with interests in these areas. Please also see staff webpages for more details of potential supervisor research interests.