Sustainable Food, Land & Water Systems
Introduction
Ensuring the sustainability and equity of food systems for a projected global population of nine billion, under conditions of limited water and land resources and a changing climate, is one of the defining challenges of the 21st century. Despite continued expansion of cultivated land, food production in many regions has stagnated or become increasingly volatile, particularly in food-insecure regions such as Africa, while current yields remain far below attainable levels.
Agriculture, forestry and land-use change account for between 18–22% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. While the Green Revolution of the mid-20th century significantly increased productivity, it also led to unintended consequences, including ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, soil nutrient depletion, water scarcity, and increased pest and disease pressures.
Today, these systemic challenges are compounded by economic shocks, geopolitical conflict, pandemics and inflation, leaving millions vulnerable to undernourishment. Structural barriers, including insecure tenure, limited access to markets, technology and infrastructure, continue to constrain sustainable intensification, while land-use conflicts and demographic change place further pressure on ecosystems. Although biodiversity’s role in ecosystem functioning is widely recognised, its potential to enhance nutrient availability and food-system sustainability remains underappreciated. Our work aims to inform pathways that balance economic and environmental goals while protecting some of the world’s remaining biodiversity.
Our Research Areas
- Land Use Change & Soil Carbon
We study how land-use decisions shape food security, water availability, biodiversity and climate outcomes. Our research explores land-sparing and land-sharing strategies, transitional landscapes, yield volatility, rural–urban migration, finite land availability, and human–wildlife interactions in agricultural systems. We model land-use intensity, landscape configuration, biogeochemical cycles, hydrological processes, soil carbon dynamics, and the mitigation potential of agriculture, forestry and land-use change.
- Integrated Water Management
We investigate co-benefits and trade-offs across the water–energy–food nexus, assessing how changing water availability shapes agriculture, urban systems, industry, ecosystems and livelihoods. Our work includes water-use efficiency, competition for water resources, contamination from plastics and nutrients, desalination, precision agriculture, infrastructure impacts on river systems, and the role of green infrastructure in bioremediation and reducing exposure to extreme events.
- Agroecology & Ecosystem Services
Our agroecology research integrates ecological principles into farming systems. We evaluate ecosystem restoration schemes, non-timber forest products, Indigenous and local crop varieties, sustainable intensification approaches, and peri-urban agroforestry, with attention to access and equitable benefit-sharing. We assess synergies and trade-offs between provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting ecosystem services, as well as instrumental, intrinsic and relational values.
- Health, Nutrition & Diet
Using a One Health lens, we examine how agricultural systems influence human wellbeing and planetary health. Research includes dietary transitions, sustainable protein alternatives, antimicrobial resistance, food safety, and environmental health risks such as heat stress, respiratory illness and mental health, alongside trade-offs between nutritional quality, water use and food security.
5. Development Models
We explore circular-economy approaches to scaling sustainable practices while promoting justice. Our work examines farmer-led learning exchanges, participatory co-production, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, and innovations such as biochar, biogas and photovoltaic mini-grids, as well as food-waste management and value conflicts linked to nature credits.
6. Technical and Behaviour change
We study farmer aspirations and evolving livelihoods under mechanisation, land subdivision, tenure insecurity and other drivers. Research addresses land rights, justice and access using political-ecology approaches, supply-chain dynamics, ideological and cultural tensions, and the implications of internal climate migration as an adaptive strategy.
7. Decision-making tools
We develop and apply decision-support tools for sustainable food systems, including life-cycle assessment, integrated pest management, scenario analysis, AI-based image processing and policy evaluation. By combining technical assessment with socio-political analysis, our research supports evidence-based decision-making across local, national and global food systems.
Where We Work
Our work is trans- and interdisciplinary and spans key climate and biodiversity hotspots across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. We work from farm and community scales to national transitions and global supply chains, in partnership with international organisations, governments, academic institutions, NGOs, local authorities, farmer organisations and the private sector.
Centres, Networks & Partnerships
This research connects with initiatives including:
Working with local communities across diverse food, land and water systems
Working with local communities across diverse food, land and water systems
Working with local communities across diverse food, land and water systems
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