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Reposted by Global Food and Environment Institute

Karis Welch @kariswelch.bsky.social · 18h

At the beginning of the year, @victoriahood89.bsky.social and I started hosting drop-in sessions for interdisciplinary researchers across @universityofleeds.bsky.social.

Hopefully helpful for those who've attended, but it has definitely a good learning experience for us 👇

Providing responsive communications advice for interdisciplinary researchers

Throughout 2025, the Interdisciplinary Research Communications Group (IDRC) have provided online monthly drop-in sessions for Leeds…

medium.com

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 21h

This work highlights the power of real-world data to inform what we know about food choice behaviour.

It’s not just about what’s offered—it’s about what’s chosen, consistently.

👉 Read the paper published in Food Quality and Preference: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

What options do children choose for their school lunch? Time-series and cluster analyses of food choice data from a primary school in England

In England, more than a fifth of 10–11-year-olds live with obesity. Given its detrimental effects on health and well-being, addressing childhood obesi…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 21h

A new study by Inès François, Dr Hannah Ensaff & Dr homer matt, the lunch choices of 155 children (5–11) were tracked for multiple days.

Using time-series & cluster analysis, the study, in collab with SchoolGrid, uncovered stable patterns in food choices & identified 4 distinct selection profiles👇

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 5d

As part of our month-long spotlight on agroecological research, we have published a blog by Professor Stephen Whitfield that summarises the many ways in which our researchers are supporting this area of research at the University of Leeds.

👉 Read: medium.com/globalfoodle...

Supporting Agroecology Transitions in Africa through University of Leeds Research

By Stephen Whitfield, Professor in Food, Agriculture and Climate.

medium.com

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 5d

Gulbanu will explore how household food waste is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions & a key barrier to sustainable food systems.

Free & open to all: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/reducing-h...

Reducing Household Food Waste: Behavioural Insights for Climate Action

How behavioural science can support climate action.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 5d

Join us on Wed 19th Nov, 12.00-12.40pm.

Dr @gulbanukaptan.bsky.social will deliver a webinar: 'Reducing Household Food Waste: Behavioural Insights for Climate Action'.

More details 👇

Someone scrapping food waste off a chopping board into a food waste bin

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 6d

Intercropping legumes within primary crops and using grasses at field margins can reduce crop pests because of the respective effects these plants have on target species.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 6d

Olufemi Adesina is working with International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Kenya on how the push-pull approach in agroecological practices can reduce crop pest pressure.

👇

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 6d

This research is important because it can help inform farmers' use of pest and disease control methods, especially in areas where agricultural land is expanding and harmful chemical pesticides are increasingly overused as a pest management strategy.

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

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Farmers and researchers install equipment to capture crop pests

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 6d

Under the FoSTA Health project, Hemant Tripathi & Steve Sait are working with international partners to explore the role of woodlands in maintaining natural predator populations.

Woodlands within agricultural landscapes can reduce risk of pests (mosquitoes & ticks) within central Zambia.

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Woman with a net to catch pests in a field

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 6d

A key focus of agroecological practice is understanding ecosystem functions.

Researchers are studying how plant-level treatments, field-level crop compositions & landscape-scale structures & vegetation interact to influence crop pest & disease risks.

fosta-health.eu/index.php/bl...

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Fall armyworm on a green leaf that has been partly eaten

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Reposted by Global Food and Environment Institute

Horizons Institute @horizonsinstitute.bsky.social · 7d

What are the challenges that interdisciplinary researchers face in communicating their work, and how can they find support in finding solutions to these?

In this new blog post, @victoriahood89.bsky.social and @kariswelch.bsky.social share insights from nine months of comms drop-in surgeries 👇

Providing responsive communications advice for interdisciplinary researchers

Throughout 2025, the Interdisciplinary Research Communications Group (IDRC) have provided online monthly drop-in sessions for Leeds…

medium.com

3 2

Reposted by Global Food and Environment Institute

Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 13d

Join us on Wednesday 15th October to hear Dr Mapenzie Tauzie on 'Negotiating Empowerment: Exploring how women balance agriculture, household responsibilities and social networks in rural Malawi'.

Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/womens-eve...

👇

Women's everyday experiences in Malawi agriculture and social relations

Negotiating Empowerment: Exploring how women balance agriculture, household responsibilities and social networks in rural Malawi

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 12d

Find out more about the work to drive civic change across local food systems:

Effie's research profile environment.leeds.ac.uk/see/staff/14...

Sara's research profile environment.leeds.ac.uk/geography/st...

Sonja / FoodWise profile foodwiseleeds.org/about/

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 12d

Dr Effie Papargyropoulou engages with policymakers at local & national level, providing research evidence to support food policy change.

She co-developed a tool to measure social, environmental & economic impact of local food initiatives that transform urban food systems by empowering citizens

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 12d

Prof @sgonzalezsara.bsky.social focuses on transforming the food system by collaborating with local groups & policymakers to support civic change.

She’s on the FoodWise Steering Group, which recently focused on public food procurement—schools & hospitals buying nutritious, locally produced food.
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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 12d

Sonja Woodcock is the Coordinator at FoodWise Leeds.

FoodWise collaborates with GFEI, Leeds City Council, & third sector & community partners to build a good food movement. Together we produced the Leeds Food Strategy – a citywide approach for health, food security, the economy, & net zero.

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 12d

Food justice: equitable access to healthy, sustainable & affordable food.

Our researchers work with community-based partners to explore how research can have real terms impact on place-based, community-led food initiatives.

We interviewed 2 researchers & a community-based partner to hear more 👇

Market stall selling fresh fruit at Leeds outdoor market

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 13d

This webinar is part of our #WorldFoodDay campaign & draws on participatory, multi-stage research in rural Malawi.

It explored how women navigate empowerment, agriculture, nutrition & daily resource negotiations, while sustaining social ties & family wellbeing.

See you there!

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 13d

Join us on Wednesday 15th October to hear Dr Mapenzie Tauzie on 'Negotiating Empowerment: Exploring how women balance agriculture, household responsibilities and social networks in rural Malawi'.

Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/womens-eve...

👇

Women's everyday experiences in Malawi agriculture and social relations

Negotiating Empowerment: Exploring how women balance agriculture, household responsibilities and social networks in rural Malawi

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 13d

During our International Food Systems Research Week, we welcomed visitors from South Africa, Zambia, Malawi & Tanzania—spanning academia, industry & government.

We focused on research & innovation collaboration opportunities across academia, industry & key policy themes medium.com/globalfoodle...

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 13d

At the University of Leeds Research Farm, researchers work with UK farmers to co-design #RegenerativeAgriculture trials under the FixOurFood programme.

These trials explore how regen ag impacts soil & crop health—and the real-world challenges farmers face 🌱

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVDn...

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FixOurFood regenerative agriculture trials at University of Leeds Research Farm | Dr Ruth Wade (1)

YouTube video by GFEI, University of Leeds

www.youtube.com

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 13d

Thirze Hermans explored farmer-led approaches to soil health in Malawi by co-developing soil health evaluation tools, blending local farmers' knowledge with on-farm research trials to improve understanding of contextualised soil nutrient processes.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Farmer in Malawi bends over to check crops

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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 13d

But wider than this, it is a philosophy of human connectedness to nature, & at a political level, it challenges current economic agendas.

Therefore, to meaningfully & responsibly contribute to Africa’s agroecology transition, researchers need to think differently about agricultural research.
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Global Food and Environment Institute @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social · 13d

Throughout October, we are spotlighting some of the ways our researchers are supporting agroecological transitions in Africa.

Agroecology enhances food production resilience to extreme weather events & pest infestations, and improves biodiversity, soil health & nutritional properties of foods.
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Woman farm workers in Africa, bending to tend to crops in the field

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