AgriFood4NetZero: Plausible Pathways, Practical and Open Science for Net Zero Agrifood

Completed

Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Energy system analysis)
Energy Efficiency(Industry)
Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Environmental, social and economic impacts)
Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy)

Basic and strategic applied research

BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science)

Not Cross-cutting
Other (Energy technology information dissemination)

Dr RA Sanderson Bellamy
Applied Sciences
University of the West of England

Standard

EPSRC

01 July 2022

31 December 2025

42 months

£3,897,947

Agri-environmental science

South West

Energy : Energy

Dr RA Sanderson Bellamy, Applied Sciences, University of the West of England

Professor TG Benton, Sch of Biology, University of Leeds
Professor S Bridle, Environment, University of York
Professor D Charalampopoulos, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading
Professor LJ Frewer, Sch of Natural Sciences & Env Sciences, Newcastle University
Professor T MacMillan, Sch of Agriculture, Food and the Environ, Royal Agricultural University
Professor S Pearson, Lincoln Inst for Agri-Food Technology, University of Lincoln
Professor ND Scollan, Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast
Professor P Smith, Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci, University of Aberdeen
Professor N Ward, Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia
Professor CA Watson, Research, SRUC

Project Contact, Harper Adams University
Project Contact, Dept of Agri
Project Contact, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh
Project Contact, Algae UK
Project Contact, Fera Science Limited
Project Contact, National Farmers Union (NFU)
Project Contact, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute
Project Contact, Cranfield University
Project Contact, University of Greenwich
Project Contact, Ove Arup & Partners Ltd
Project Contact, Scottish Natural Heritage
Project Contact, The Good Food Institute Europe
Project Contact, WWF - World Wide Fund for Nature (UK)
Project Contact, The James Hutton Institute
Project Contact, Wilderness Foundation
Project Contact, Northumberland County Council
Project Contact, Nourish Scotland
Project Contact, British Grassland Society
Project Contact, CHAP Solutions
Project Contact, Centre for Effective Innovation in Agric
Project Contact, Cool Farm Alliance CIC
Project Contact, Ctr for Innov Excellence in Livestock
Project Contact, Devro PLC
Project Contact, Downforce Technologies
Project Contact, Eating Better
Project Contact, Energy Industrial Strategy
Project Contact, Env & Rural Affairs DAERA
Project Contact, Farming and Countryide Commission
Project Contact, Food Ethics Council
Project Contact, Food Sense Wales
Project Contact, Food Standards Agency
Project Contact, Food Standards Scotland (FSS)
Project Contact, Food and Farming Futures Ltd
Project Contact, Greater Lincolnshire LEP
Project Contact, Institute Of Agricultural Engineering
Project Contact, International Potato Centre
Project Contact, Jones Food Company
Project Contact, Linking Env and Farming LEAF
Project Contact, National Federation Young Farmers' Clubs
Project Contact, Organic Farmers and Growers
Project Contact, Potato Processors' Association
Project Contact, Quality Meat Scotland
Project Contact, Quorn Foods
Project Contact, RSK ADAS Ltd
Project Contact, Applied Group
Project Contact, Dummy Organisation
Project Contact, Royal Agricultural Society of England
Project Contact, Samworth Brothers Ltd
Project Contact, Scotch Whisky Research Institute
Project Contact, Slade Farm Organics
Project Contact, South Pole Carbon Asset Management Ltd
Project Contact, Food and Drink Federation
Project Contact, National Sheep Association
Project Contact, Zoe Global Ltd
Project Contact, AgriSearch
Project Contact, Agri-EPI Centre
Project Contact, Scottish Crofting Federation
Project Contact, Agricultural Universities Council
Project Contact, Cadscan Limited
Project Contact, Agrivation Ltd
Project Contact, Scottish Dairy Hub
Project Contact, Agri-Food Quest
Project Contact, The National Trust
Project Contact, LettUs Grow
Project Contact, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
Project Contact, National Museums Liverpool
Project Contact, North East Surrey College of Technology
Project Contact, DEFRA
Project Contact, Exeter College
Project Contact, AHDB (Agri & Horticulture Dev Board)

The agri-food system, producing 23% of UK emissions, must play a key role in the UK's transition to net zero by 2050, and through leadership in innovation can support change globally. Our Network+ will build on existing and new partnerships across research and stakeholder communities to develop a shared agenda, robust research plans, and scope out future research and innovation. The Network will design and deliver high-reward feasibility projects to help catalyse rapid system transformation to ensure the agri-food system is sustainable and supports the UK's net zero goal, while enhancing biodiversity, maintaining ecosystem services, fostering livelihoods and supporting healthy consumption, and minimising the offshoring of environmental impacts overseas through trade. The radical scale of the net zero challenge requires an equally bold and ambitious approach to research and innovation, not least because of the agri-food and land system's unique potential as a carbon sink. Our title, Plausible Pathways, Practical and Open Science, recognises the agri-food system as a contested area in which a range of pathways are plausible. Success requires that new relationships between natural and social science, stakeholders including industry, government and citizens, be forged in which distributed expertise is actively harnessed to support sectoral transformation.We will use our breadth of expertise from basic research to application, policy and engagement to co-produce a trusted, well-evidenced, and practical set of routes, robust to changing future market, policy and social drivers, to evolve the agri-food system towards net zero and sustainability. Marshalling our many existing stakeholder links, we will review and evaluate current options and use Network funding to catalyse new partnerships through retreats, crucibles, workshops, online digital networking and scoping studies to develop system approaches to transformation, reframe the research agenda and undertake novel research projects. We will co-design productive and creative spaces that enable the research community to engage with a wide range of stakeholders and thought leaders through the following framework: 7 Co-Is who govern the Network but are not themselves eligible for funding; 9 Year-1 Champions (with new appointments after Year 1) dynamically forging new connections across research communities; 11 Advisory Board members tasked with challenging business-as-usual thinking; and regular liaison with other stakeholders.

14/07/22