Funded PhD opportunity to explore sustainable solutions to improve the UK’s food security and public health related to horticulture and fruits and vegetables, as part of the new Centre for Net Positive Health & Climate Solutions (Net+ Centre) at the University of Exeter.
Funded by UK Research and Innovation, the Net+ Centre is a partnership of the University of Exeter with the UK Health Security Agency, the National Trust, Forest Research, the Met Office and several other organisations to deliver its research, which focuses on ‘net-positive’ approaches. Net-positive solutions aim to reduce the negative health impacts of climate mitigation and adaptation, whilst also contributing to positive outcomes – such as ecosystem recovery and improved human wellbeing. The Centre’s research is particularly seeking to ensure that any new measures do not worsen existing inequalities among those communities most impacted by climate change.
For eligible students the studentship will cover Home tuition fees plus an annual tax-free stipend for 4 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study.
Project outline:
How fruits and vegetables are produced, sold and consumed is essential for food security in the UK and transitioning to healthier, more sustainable, and equitable food systems. The UK produces 60% of total vegetable supply and 20% for fruits with the remaining largely imported. This makes the UK vulnerable to shocks in global food systems, such as climate-induced weather events interrupting supply and causing volatility in food prices, which in turn exacerbates access to healthy foods.
Research is required to explore how to create feasible systems-wide solutions to increase the ubiquity of fruits and vegetables in our food environments, without exploiting people or the planet. This relates to growers in terms of growing practices, profitability, and diversity of routes to market, and how to compete with the marketing of less nutritious foods. It also relates to ensuring universal access, affordability, and a culture of consuming fruits and vegetables to encourage healthy dietary practices to reduce diet-related health inequalities.
This PhD will aim to explore sustainable solutions to improve the UK’s food security and public health related to horticulture and fruits and vegetables. This PhD is expected to take a planetary health and systems approach, for example, the student would engage with how their research relates to the Food & Agricultural Organisation’s many different pillars of food security [availability, access, utilisation, stability, sustainability, agency].
The thesis might choose to focus on local policies and partnerships to think through the social and political contexts that facilitate effective solutions to improve food security related to horticulture. The thesis could involve three main activities.
1. An evidence synthesis to explore coherence in local-national policy to improve the UK’s food security in fruits and vegetables e.g., via a systematic literature review, policy document review, supplemented by semi-structured interviews where necessary.
2. Explore practices, experiences, aspirations of local growers/retailers regarding the future of UK horticulture e.g., via semi-structured interviews and/or questionnaire surveys
3. Explore the contribution of local innovation to improving food security of fruits and vegetables in the UK e.g., via engaging with economically disadvantaged communities and local innovators and/or evaluating existing programmes using routinely collected data sets
These pieces of work could be brought together using participatory group model building workshops to visualise dynamic causal relationships and consider the feasibility of scaling-up local innovations and what might work, for whom, in which contexts.
We are looking for PhD candidates with social science backgrounds that are interested in interdisciplinary research with clear policy relevance.
Entry requirements
Applicants should have at a minimum a good first degree (at least 2.1, or international equivalent) in a social or political science discipline, and have obtained, or are currently working towards a Master's degree at Merit level, or international equivalent, in relevant subject area.
If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements and provide proof of proficiency. Click here for more information.
Recipients are expected to commit to engagement beyond their doctoral studies through contributing to the research environment of their discipline and the Faculty by participating in research activities, accessing skills development training and opportunities and career development etc. Continued funding would be dependent on satisfactory evidence of this engagement having taken place.
This award is only open to applicants whose fee status is classed as Home. Click here for further information about fee status.
Please note that this studentship is only open to applicants who will start their study after September 2025, not those who have already started, and must be taken up in the 2025/26 academic year.
Applications will only be supported for campus-based programmes as this studentship is not open to Distance-Learning programmes.
