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Newsletter: March 2024
Welcome to the latest edition of the Exeter Food Research Network newsletter.
Have you recently published work on a food-related theme, completed a project, or been awarded a grant? Are you planning an event that colleagues should know about, or have you heard of such events elsewhere? Are you aware of opportunities or resources that might be of interest to other network members? Please email Exeter Food.
Contents:
NEWS | EVENTS | OPPORTUNITIES | RESOURCES
NEWS
What about seafood? New publication on the role of seafood in UK food systems transformation.
Giulia Nicolini is a PhD student working with EF members, Harry West, Celia Plender and Tomas Chaigneau. This paper published by the International Institute for Environment and Development argues that seafood should be given greater importance in debates about transforming food systems in the UK. It explores how seafood is linked to the broader food system and considers seafood’s potential role in food systems transformation in the UK. The full report is available here.
Volunteers needed for new UoE Community Fridge
A new community fridge has opened in the Forum Library foyer at the Streatham campus. It is run by a charity called FoodSave who operate across East Devon and Exeter, with support from Recycle Devon, Exeter University, Exeter Students' Guild and Exeter City Council.
The community fridge can be used by staff and students alike, and its main aims are to tackle food waste across the city and reduce food poverty for all. They are looking for volunteers to help with regular collections from supermarkets and food shops both on campus and in the city centre. For more information on how to get involved click here, or email FoodSave info@foodsave.org.uk or phone 07795 313554.
Exeter Food member appointed to the FSA Science Council
We are pleased to share the news that Exeter Food member Rich Smith, has been appointed to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Science Council. The FSA is a regulatory body in the UK responsible for ensuring that food sold and consumed is safe and meets certain standards of quality. The agency also works to address issues such as foodborne illnesses, allergens, and labelling accuracy. Congratulations Rich!
EVENTS
The third Exeter Food Pechakucha seminar
Thursday 23 May 9:45-11:15 join us via TEAMS
These events are designed to allow us to familiarise ourselves with what colleagues across the University are working on, to offer them input, and spark ideas for future collaborations. Presentations will be short (7-8 minutes), followed by discussion. The speakers are:
Molly Rose Bond, Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Following Stevia (Ka’a he’ê): Indigenous herb to cash DNA. Un-earthing lab-grown food futures.
Tim Taylor, Associate Professor in Environmental and Public Health Economics. The Food, Health and Environment Nexus: Perspectives from an Economist
Naomi Sykes The Lawrence Professor of Archaeology. Fair Game: valuing the bio-cultural heritage of fallow deer and their venison for food security, sustainable woodlands and biodiversity.
Andy Cunliffe Oppenheimer Senior Research Fellow and African Landscape Systems Programme Leader. Understanding social-ecological system (in)stability with remote sensing, supporting environmental sustainability in Africa, and a funding finder to enhance global collaboration. For more information visit the Exeter Food website.
Exeter Food Network Penryn Food Showcase
Tuesday 25th June 10:00-15:00 at the Penryn Campus
The event will bring together University of Exeter researchers from our Cornwall and Devon campuses, stakeholders, students, and interested members of the public. It’s a showcase of food research conducted by colleagues in Penryn. A lunch, featuring foods from Cornwall, will be served and transportation by coach will be provided from the Streatham Campus.
For more information about the programme and to register, please visit the EventBrite page.
CRPR Early career researchers and PhD showcase symposium
Wednesday May 1st 09:00-17:00, Constantine Leventis Teaching Room / Building One One or via TEAMS
The Centre for Rural Policy Research is hosting a symposium to showcase the work of its PhD and ECRs to the wider university community. Topics covered will include farming and the environment, human-animal interactions, labour in the food chain, and mental health. The symposium aims to provide the researchers with constructive feedback, to foster collaborations and encourage debate. Please email crpr@exeter.ac.uk if you plan to attend in person, and for catering purposes.
CRPR Seminar 1: Becky Willson, Farm Carbon Toolkit - Managing carbon on-farm
Wednesday 8th May 10:45-1215, Byrne House Boardroom or via TEAMS
This seminar will explore the progress of the Farm Carbon Toolkit and their work with farmers for the last 12 years on tackling greenhouse gas emissions and improving soil health. Hear about some of the applied research taking place through the soil carbon project, Farm net zero and other participatory work which aims to showcase farmers' desire to be part of the climate solution
CRPR Seminar 2: Jonathan Baker, Defra- Environmental land management and the agricultural transition in England, where are we, and why?
Wednesday 22nd May 10:45-12:15, Byrne House Boardroom or via TEAMS
Jonathan Baker is a senior civil servant working on farming reform in England. In this seminar, he will discuss progress in reforming farming policy, provide insights into decision-making processes and demonstrate how policy makers use evidence, advise Ministers and set strategy in complex change programmes. Please email CRPR@Exeter.ac.uk if you plan on attending this seminar in person.
Challenges to achieving nutritional adequacy through a healthy, sustainable diet
Thursday 28th March 13:00, online
This free British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) webinar will be exploring potential challenges in meeting nutrient requirements, especially in vulnerable groups, in the shift towards a plant-forward diet that is healthier for both humans and the planet. For more information and to register, please visit the BNF website.
Performing cow care: digital technologies & knowing practices in dairy farming
15th April 14:00, Marchant Syndicate Room A, Building One or via ZOOM
Dr Camille Bellet is a posthumanist researcher and Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine from the University of Manchester. In this seminar she will explore how knowing practices of cow care unfold within the context of the adoption of digital sensing technologies in dairy farming, considering where, how, and with what underlying assumptions they occur, and their implications for knowledge production. It is hosted jointly by the DIGIT Lab and the Innovation Technology and Entrepreneurship (ITE) department.
EVENTS FROM OTHER RESEARCH NETWORKS
CYP Wellbeing @Exeter Research Network Annual Symposium
Friday 10th May 9:00- 15:00 at Reed Hall. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
The third Annual Symposium is open to everyone with an interest in research into children and young people’s wellbeing. Come and discuss the network's key themes- meaningful involvement of children and young people in research, bio-psycho-social-cultural mechanisms of mental health, mental health and education, and adverse childhood experiences and take the opportunity to network with other researchers. Please register to attend via EventBrite. This year, the symposium includes an ECR POSTER COMPETITION with prizes and free poster printing. Open to everyone with research related to CYPs Wellbeing, and the deadline for submissions is Friday 12th of April.
Immersive Technologies in Healthcare conference
Monday 10th June 09:00- 17:00
The Exeter Immersive Research Network second annual conference is entitled ‘Immersive Technologies: Bridging Neuroscience, Clinical Research, and Healthcare’. This day-long event will showcase how immersive technologies are becoming a core part of the modern scientific and healthcare ecosystem. The conference will host external keynote speakers who will showcase the healthcare and scientific uses of immersive technologies, as well as flash talks from ECRs working within basic and applied topics related to human health. Please register to attend via EventBrite.
Microbes and Society @Exeter Third Annual Symposium
Monday 24th & Tuesday 25th June 09:30- 15:00 at Reed Hall.
The Microbes and Society @Exeter Third Annual Symposium includes the opportunity to hear flash talks on research from across the Network, as well as engage with a focused session around Food Security, in association with the Exeter Food Network. More information will follow closer to the event. Some limited transport is available from Penryn Campus. Please register via EventBrite.
OPPORTUNITIES
Exeter Food is keen to support members in the development of research proposals. If you have an idea that you would like to explore in a “sandpit” with colleagues and potential partners, or a draft proposal on which you would like feedback from colleagues, please contact the network lead, Harry G West.
Diet and health innovation@ early Stage Feasibility projects
UK registered organisations are invited to participate in a funding competition, offering a share of £2.5 million for early-stage feasibility projects collaborating with one or more of the Diet and Health Open Innovation Research Club (OIRC) hubs.
This joint initiative by Innovate UK and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) aims to support UK businesses and research institutions in creating innovative food products for sustained health and wellbeing, across all age groups. Grants range from £100k to £250k, with projects spanning from October 2024 to March 2026. For further details, visit the UKRI website. The closing date for applications is Thursday 8th May.
Consumer Lab funding calls now open
Consumer Lab funding streams aim to support academic-industry research projects and placements relating to human dietary behaviour that have the potential to promote a positive change in human health. There are three different types of awards available with different aims and different sums. For more information and to apply, visit the Consumer Lab website.
NFU Mutual Centenary Award 2024 - postgrad agriculture bursaries
Rural insurer, NFU Mutual, has launched its 2024 Centenary Award, which provides postgrad bursaries for studies supporting UK agriculture. The award pays up to 75% of course fees for selected applicants- both Masters and PhD students who start their studies during the 2024/25 academic year. For full details of the award and to apply, visit the NFU Mutual website. The closing date for applications is Sunday 30th June.
A Sweet solution? Learn more about low calorie sweeteners (LCS)
LCS are a nutrition area of interest but attract strong views such as their effectiveness around weight loss. Despite experts finding LCS to be safe and authorising their use, there continues to be consumer concerns around their safety and potential side effects. This free online course aims to provide a better understanding of LCS and explore some of the debated areas. It could be of interest to health professionals, students or anyone wanting to gain a better understanding of LCS. Visit the British Nutrition Foundation website to access the course.
RESOURCES
The Face of Food Insecurity in Devon: A Qualitative Study 2024
This report explores the experiences of those facing food insecurity in Devon and how this has become an endemic issue impacting a broad range of people. It describes the many and varied ways in which people in the country can become food insecure and dependent on community-based food support.
The experiences of individuals accessing food support in Devon and insights from the volunteers and staff running food projects illustrate the reality that anyone can face food insecurity due to rising costs and inadequate welfare provisions. This growing issue is affecting numerous individuals in Devon. The report was commissioned by Devon County Council’s (DCC) Public Health team and managed by Devon Community Foundation (DCF) and is available here.
Exeter Food hosts Jake Fiennes recording now available
Thank you to everyone who attended the talk by Jake Fiennes, Director of Conservation at the Holkham Estate, Norfolk and author of Land Healer: How Farming Can Save Britain’s Countryside hosted by the EF Network last month. For those of you unable to attend, if you would like to see it again, a recording is now available on YouTube.
RENEW Good Practice Guide for interdisciplinary collaboration
The RENEW project is rooted in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration, emphasising research that extends across disciplines and beyond academia. This document is designed to promote the exploration and guidance of collaborative practices within and around the RENEW initiative. It is available to download here.
Introducing a new Online Resource hub for farming's 'accidental counsellors'
The University of Exeter and the Farming Health Hub (part of the ImagineIf Partnership) have launched a website to support professionals in the agricultural community who often find themselves in the role of "accidental counsellors." This resource hub is designed to empower individuals such as accountants, land agents, vets, feed suppliers, and farmers who play a key role in linking remote farming communities with health and well-being services.
Developed through collaborative efforts by the University of Exeter’s Centre for Rural Policy Research (CRPR), Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI), and the Farming Health Hub, the initiative aims to provide guidance, contacts and training information to help them support their peers facing challenges. Additionally, a new LinkedIn Group accompanies the website, offering a space for peer support and connection. For more information contact Dr. Rebecca Wheeler, Senior Research Fellow at CRPR.
Exeter Food is coordinated by Professor Harry West
Please email us to submit items for future newsletters by the last Friday of each month. To find out more about our work, please get in touch with us.
