Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds

#WorldFoodDay will be celebrated on 16 October. This year’s focus is how forward-thinking solutions, traditional knowledge and inclusive approaches can help create a food future that is sufficient, diverse, safe and nutritious for everyone. 👇

How can traditional herbal knowledge help shape the future of sustainable food? 16 Sept, 12:00 to 12:40pm BST Join Prof Lijing Ke to hear how herbal traditions inform modern food practices, & how food-body interactions may inspire sustainable food solutions. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/translatin...

Are you registered for our free webinar on 16 Sept? Professor Lijing Ke will be exploring food-body interactions from ancient knowledge to modern science in 'Translating herbal traditions into sustainable food solutions'. Find out more & register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/translatin...

Another great paper from Resti Salmayenti's PhD now out showing that peatland restoration & conservation management reduces tropical peatland fires (esp. during stronger El Nino). Free access here: agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/... @andybairdj.bsky.social @envleeds.bsky.social

Trial shows e-cargo bikes can replace cars 🚴‍♂️ A major trial of e-cargo bikes, which saw families use them for shopping, leisure and commuting, shows they have the potential to reduce car use and improve health, say researchers from @envleeds.bsky.social 🙌 Read more 👇 https://bit.ly/4apYl0z

How is the UK Government's Food Strategy for England looking one year on? Join us for 'The Good Food Cycle: a bumpy ride? How is the UK Government’s Food Strategy for England looking one year on?' 📆Wed 8 Jul, 12.00-12.40pm BST. 🗣️Dan Crossley, Executive Director, Food Ethics Council 👇

Ever wondered what challenges need to be addressed to shape a more sustainable, fair & resilient food system for all? At the @universityofleeds.bsky.social, our researchers are working on real-world solutions to some of the biggest food system challenges. youtu.be/KmFR8PtcopI?...

The recording for yesterday's webinar: 'System complexity social inequality & One Health in southern African food' by Professor Stephen Whitfield is now available on YouTube. youtu.be/LtzTPrQZbiU?... #FoodSecurity #OneHealth #SouthernAfrica #Food #FoodSystems

Are you registered for our free webinar this Wed (20th)? Speaker: Prof Stephen Whitfield Time: 12.00-12.40pm BST Title: 'System Complexity, Social Inequality and One Health Consequences in Neo-Liberal Food Systems Transformations in Southern Africa' www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/system-com... 👇

Interesting read 👇

We've just updated our events page, so check it out for: ➡️ site tours 🥾 ➡️ volunteering days ⚒️ ➡️ tree nursery days 🌳 ➡️ walling days 🧱 ...& more...shares welcome. bag.leeds.ac.uk/projects/res... @envleeds.bsky.social @cumbriacvs.bsky.social @johnmuirtrust.bsky.social @lakedistrictnpa.bsky.social

Join our June webinar: Wed 17 June, 12.00-12.40pm BST. 'Sustainable edible and active food packaging' by Prof Megan Povey is not to be missed. Find out more and register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sustainabl... Free and open to all. Registration required.

Final paper out from Josiah Judson's PhD. Trees on shallow gradients or the riparian zone contribute to flood management without substantially impacting land available for productive agriculture. Free access: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... @pippachapmn.bsky.social @envleeds.bsky.social

Join us on Wed 20 May, 12.00-12.40pm (BST) to hear from Prof Stephen Whitfield on 'System Complexity, Social Inequality and One Health Consequences in Neo-Liberal Food Systems Transformations in Southern Africa'. 👇

Prof. George Holmes at the @universityofleeds.bsky.social will be working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for the next 12 months on their landscape recovery policy. Read about the new Innovation Fellowships cohort on our latest news story: bit.ly/4uVSuJg

Free tomorrow 12:00–12:40pm? Dr Peter Yiga will present 'Food environment transitions in southern Africa – impact on dietary patterns', exploring how social groups access food & agri‑food policies shape experiences in Zambia. Includes a Q&A. Free & open to all: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1978294667...

Today for #FoodWasteActionWeek we’re highlighting Prof Nik Watson, whose expertise is artificial intelligence in food. Nik has written a blog that explores his newly funded research into using AI to transform food waste into nutritious, sustainable protein 👇 #FWAW #FoodWaste #Sustainability #AI

New paper by Dr @rogercre.bsky.social & colleagues expose hidden risks in global food system. Shows how food‑trade globalisation makes some regions more vulnerable to production shocks, plus their tool estimating how much countries must boost reserves of any food category to withstand 20% of shocks👇

GFEI spotlight: Disha Bansal, PhD student in the School of Geography. Disha's research focuses on urban redevelopment projects, specifically focusing on the redevelopment of traditional retail markets in the UK and understanding the impact on long term traders and customers. 🧵👇

Join the West Yorkshire Sustainable Brewing Network 🗓️ The brewing sector faces rising costs & growing sustainability demands. Now is the time to collaborate & take practical action. The workshops 👇 will unite brewers & Uni. Leeds academics to build a sustainable brewing network across W. Yorkshire

Are you registered for our 18 March webinar? Join us to hear Dr Peter Yiga deliver 'Food environment transitions in southern Africa -Impact on dietary patterns'. This free webinar will look at how different social groups access food and the agri-food policies shape experiences in Zambia. Link 👇

Three steps in removing a Sitka spruce sapling: 1) identify the sapling 2) completely remove using loppers or a saw 3) leave a clean stump that won't regenerate. Loads of natural regen on this site (rowan, willow, oak) to fill the gaps. @envleeds.bsky.social @leedsleaf.bsky.social

Across Cape Town, South Africa, communities maintain small gardens and keep ancestral recipes alive despite the challenges of rising costs, climate stress, and land pressures. Yet these voices are rarely recognised in policy or mainstream food debates 👇 #FoodSecurity #FoodGrowing #SouthAfrica

As agriculture expands across Sub-Saharan Africa, can we feed growing populations without losing the natural services vital to farming? 🗓️Join us on 25 Feb, 12.00-12.40pm (GMT) Register your place: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/invertebra... Open to all. #FoodSecurity #Agriculture #Farming

Organic fertilisers have long been a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture, helping recycle nutrients & improve soil health. But, these chemicals, which weren’t traditionally monitored, are now raising environmental concerns. 👇 medium.com/globalfoodle... #Soil #Farming #SustainableAgriculture

Dr Effie Papargyropoulou and Sonja Woodcock recently attended the Oxford Real Farming Conference @orfc.bsky.social. They have written a short reflective overview of their experience and the key messages they left with. 👉 medium.com/globalfoodle... #ORFC2026 Photo credit: Hugh Warwick

GFEI spotlight: Kelly O’Shea is a PhD researcher in the School of Geography, University of Leeds, investigating the impacts of microplastics from food waste on soil. Connect on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-osh... Watch this video of Kelly explaining more about her research 👇

Several Faculty researchers featured in this newsletter by @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social.

Dr Peter Yiga, @foodscileeds.bsky.social, will deliver this @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social webinar in March. Registration is free and open to everyone.

Register for 'Food environment transitions in southern Africa-impact on dietary patterns' on Wed 18th March, 12 - 12.40pm, by Dr Peter Yiga. Food environments in southern Africa show a mixed pattern of malnutrition - nutrient gaps & stunted growth, as well as rising overweight & obesity👇

Join us 21 Jan, 12.00-12.40pm. Dr Daya Pandey will speak on harnessing animal waste for energy & nutrient recovery. Can by-products meet EU fertiliser standards & are they suitable for use in farming systems? Open to all. Please register for free: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/circular-f...

We are also running a #WorldSoilDay webinar on Wednesday (10th), 12.00-12.40pm. This will discuss the importance of knowing your #soil type in understanding how planting hedges can help prevent floods. Delivered by Prof Pippa Chapman & Dr Sofia Biffi. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/planting-h...

Kelly O’Shea, Dr John Nightingale & Prof Laura Carter explore emerging contaminants in soils—and their impact on organic fertiliser use in sustainable farming. Contaminants affect soil health, food safety & water quality. 👉 Read their blog: medium.com/globalfoodle... 👇

Dr Richard Grayson is working with colleagues to better understand the impacts of farming on the environment, & vice versa, through facilities at our Research Farm. He's written a blog explaining how equipment at the farm is exploring carbon capture & storage in soils. medium.com/globalfoodle...

Today is #WorldSoilDay! We've several soil experts involved in exciting research projects & there has been significant investment at the University of Leeds Research Farm to install equipment to help researchers monitor the health of soil & rate of carbon sequestration – and how to improve these 👇

New research shows cutting energy demand could be the cheapest, fastest route to net zero. Priestley members & partners demonstrate how changes in travel, heating, & consumption can cut emissions, save money, & improve lives - challenging current UK energy policy. climate.leeds.ac.uk/news/cutting...

Did you miss the two new #COP30 blogs we shared last week? 'Farming in an unpredictable climate' by Ruth Wade, Guy Ziv & Pippa Chapman explores impact of #ClimateChange on UK farming, & how research supports farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture principles medium.com/globalfoodle... 👇

Can planting hedgerows help prevent #flooding? Join us on Wed 10th Dec, 12.00-12.40 to hear from Prof Pippa Chapman & Dr Sofia Biffi. Pippa & Sofia have explored how hedgerows of different ages (from under 5 years to decades old) affect how well soil absorbs and drains water. Link to register 👇

The SRI@21 research agenda is now live! Available online and in print, the ambitious agenda asks 21 questions that will direct the Sustainability Research Institute’s research over the next two decades. environment.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/do...

Read our new #COP30 blog by Dr Ruth Wade & Profs Guy Ziv and Pippa Chapman: 'Farming in an unpredictable climate'. They explore the impact of climate change on UK farming and how farmers might mitigate and adapt by using regenerative agriculture practices. Read blog: medium.com/globalfoodle...

Today & tomorrow at #COP30: discussions on food, agriculture & equity. @martinp556.bsky.social blog shares how University of Leeds researchers are supporting climate change adaptation measures via food system research, & how research might reveal further indicators for leaders to consider 👇

Day 4 at #COP30 🌍 Ahead of today's side events our delegates are involved in, Ruth Smith has written a blog on how farmer-led research can drive just rural transitions. 🔗 Read here: climate.leeds.ac.uk/bridging-the... #FoodSystems #ClimateAction #COP30

Glaciers are a vital water source but how much longer will we have them?🏔️ Scaling some of the most challenging heights and battling extreme conditions, our researchers have found some shocking truths about the glaciers❄️ To read more about their journey, click the link below👇 https://bit.ly/4nP14EZ

The SRI@21 research agenda includes questions about inclusivity in sustainability research. It reflects on equity and power to help ensure that sustainability progress is fair and effective for everyone. 🌍 The full research agenda launches next week, Wednesday 19 November, online and in print.

What sustainability challenges do we still need to address with solution-focused research? The SRI@21 research agenda explores some of the complex theoretical topics – like sufficiency, provisioning systems, and economies – that still require sustainable solutions. It launches 19 November 2025.

Last week @peatbloke.bsky.social, @duncanquincey.bsky.social, colleagues from Uppsala University and I re-visited Hammarmossen, this time as part of our NERC-funded Antheia project. We deployed a number of sensors and conducted UAV surveys. Looking forward to returning! @envleeds.bsky.social

Pleased to have contributed a small part to this work and to continue the important conversation about plant science education. @envleeds.bsky.social

How do we make progress towards a sustainable future? 🛤️ The SRI@21 research agenda explores questions that still need addressing, such as: ❓ How do we envision sustainable futures? ❓ Who makes decisions about sustainability? ❓ How should we measure our goals? SRI@21 launches 19 November 2025.

Our quarterly newsletter is now available. This edition provides an update on: 🚜 University Research Farm activity 👩‍💻 Upcoming webinar schedule until January 2026 🍊 FoodWise Leeds recent campaigns 📚 FoSTA-Health Project blog series & much more! Link below 👇