Queen’s University Belfast (Queen’s) was today (Thursday, July 7) named part of a government-backed, £5 million research network designed to jumpstart the UK agrifood industry’s journey to carbon net zero.
Prof. Nigel Scollan, director of the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s, will be co-investigator on the network, which will be funded by UK Research and Innovation for three years.
The network will bring together leading experts from a range of disciplines (natural, physical and social sciences) to explore the most effective ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agrifood, in consultation with government and industry stakeholders and members of the public.
The group will also seek to improve environmental sustainability more broadly and enhance biodiversity, maintain healthy ecosystems, nurture livelihoods, support healthy consumer habits, and minimise the environmental impacts of overseas trade.
Collaboration
It will be led by a team of four researchers: Dr. Angelina Sanderson, Bellamy of the University of the West of England; Prof. Tim Benton, University of Leeds; Prof. Sarah Bridle, University of York; and Prof. Neil Ward, University of East Anglia.
A further seven co-investigators from around the UK will help steer the project, with support from specialist advisors and champions.
Dr. Sanderson, one of the projects co-leads said:
“The scale and urgency of the challenge means the old ways of establishing and settling upon research priorities will not do. It is vital that researchers and stakeholders come together in a spirit of openness and collaboration, and with real urgency, to mobilise ideas and resources around advancing the transition.
“What will be the innovations we want to invest in and scale up? These are the challenges we will seek to address in the next three years.”
“This is an exciting and timely initiative and of global importance. Climate change is the major challenge facing us all and extreme weather events are already decimating crop yields,” added Prof. Scollan, Queen’s.
“The war in Ukraine, the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis are further impacting food systems and it is imperative that scientists join forces, in partnership with other stakeholders, to find better, more sustainable ways of feeding ourselves and accelerating towards Net Zero.”