Regenerative agriculture in the UK: Initiative mapping
TABLE is currently working on a one-year, interdisciplinary research project funded by the Agile Initiative (University of Oxford) into the question, "Can regenerative agriculture deliver nutritious food and a just food system?" Regenerative agriculture has been proposed as a route or support in achieving many goals around net zero, biodiversity, soil health and climate resilience. Interest and enthusiasm for the approach comes from a wide range of stakeholders, from farmers to manufacturers, NGOs to academics and policy-makers. However, the potential food system-level implications of a shift towards regenerative farming are, as yet, unclear. If we are to develop policies that align agricultural and environmental goals with nutrition and food security in a just transition for farmers and consumers, these consequences must be understood.
We are seeking a Temporary Research Assistant for a short contributing project that would map research initiatives and funding of questions associated with regenerative agriculture in the UK. We expect the work to take between four and six weeks (FTE), depending on the skill set of the successful applicant, and to begin in early January 2025. The ideal candidate will have interest in a relevant field, together with demonstrable experience of working or having undertaken studies in areas relevant to farming and land use. The successful candidate will report directly to the research team.
Project tasks
The project tasks would include:
- Desk research into the initiatives that a wide range of funders are supporting on regenerative agriculture
- Expanding this initial picture by talking to representatives of the funders and researchers to find out what
they are doing and who they are working with - Capturing findings in a database
- Using this database, to create a visualisation on how networked these initiatives are to each other, and with
that visualisation, to do some analysis of this connectivity.
The desired candidate will have the following skills:
- Masters degree or equivalent in a relevant subject, together with demonstrable experience of working or having undertaken studies in areas relevant to farming and land use
- Good written and verbal communication skills in English
- Experience with databases and digital visualisation tools
- Qualitative research skills
- Enthusiasm for the subject of the research
- Some familiarity with UK land use and regenerative agriculture would be valuable
Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.
To apply, please submit a CV and cover letter, identifying how your skills and goals align with the project, to ruthmattock@tabledebates.org, by 12 noon on Thursday 2nd January.
About TABLE
TABLE is a global platform exploring the evidence, values and visions shaping global debates about the future of sustainable food systems. We know that both scientific evidence and our personal biases play roles in these crucial conversations - we try to untangle the relationship between the two. By providing clarity on where, how and why we disagree, we support and facilitate inclusive dialogue to promote better decision making. TABLE is a collaboration between five universities: the University of Oxford, the Swedish Agricultural University, Wageningen University and Research, the National Autonomous University of México, and the University of the Andes.
