The Critical Research on Industrial Livestock Systems (CRILS) network aims to understand the trade-offs of large-scale, industrial livestock systems and to use available evidence to advocate for just and sustainable food systems, especially in the Global South.  Join us in person on the 28th and 29th of April 2026 at SOAS, University of London.  Our in-person workshop, hosted over two days, will consist of keynote talks, skill-building workshops, and open dialogues to further our understanding of and ability to use research for action. The full schedule will be shaped by the pool of applicants, but we are incredibly excited to announce that the keynote lecture on 28th April will be given by Jennifer Clapp (University of Waterloo, Canada).  We will be convening a diverse group of academics and practitioners whose work engages critically with industrial livestock systems. If that sounds like you, please apply using this form before 5th December 2025, 23:59 GMT. 

Food Shines is offering six paid consultancy placements with BAFR advisory board member organisations – each of which has identified a food system challenge for the successful candidate to tackle.These placements, open to UK-based doctoral students of any discipline, will involve desk-based/field research and the delivery of a 10-15 page report addressing the assigned challenge. Placement hosts include the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the Met Office, WWF, WRAP, Better Food Traders and Sustain.UK-based doctoral students of any discipline are invited to join us to explore current wide-ranging food system challenges at ARU's Cambridge campus on Thursday 19 February 2026. The conference offers career- and research-boosting presentations, networking opportunities, and chances to help solve multidisciplinary food system challenges.This conference is free to attend. Food and refreshments will be provided, and travel expenses for UK students will be covered by arrangement. Please email bafr@aru.ac.uk to discuss travel expenses in advance.You can find out more about the conference below or on the conference Eventbrite page, where you can also register for the conference if you're not planning to apply for a placement (all placement applicants will receive a conference place by default).

Food security remains a growing challenge, alongside other global emergencies like climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss. Whilst farming is often blamed for negative environmental impacts, it is also hailed as a potential mitigator to rising greenhouse gases (GHGs) and for increasing habitat restoration. Though the objectives of food security and environmental health can often be at odds with each other, we cannot stop producing food, so we must find ways to do it better. Moreover, farmers are on the front line of the impacts of climate change (CC) and environmental degradation, making it an increasingly difficult livelihood. CC is stressing farms in new ways, including livestock health and productivity. As the impacts of CC unfold, understanding how these are affecting farming and food production is important.Grazing livestock are often criticised for their contribution to GHGs, water use, and habitat loss. However, they form an important component of diets and livelihoods in many parts of the world. Under the right practices, they can have a positive environmental impact, such as carbon sequestration, nutrient recycling, and as part of rewilding and agroforestry projects. Grazing livestock can also potentially generate co-benefits, e.g. social and financial support to rural communities, and improved food security. Furthermore, regenerative farming is increasingly being associated with increased farmer wellbeing and satisfaction.This project falls under a broad topic with multiple options for focus and specialisation. It invites students interested in interdisciplinary research and mixed methods. The supervisory team is made up of 3 academics based at Bristol Veterinary School (BVS). 

Our Call for Papers is now live! Send a 250-word abstract by December 15th, 2025 to edibleboundariesconf@gmail.comSaturday 14th March 2026 - University of Warwick, UKKeynote Speaker: Professor Anne Murcott (SOAS)From sumptuary laws in medieval Europe to edible taboos among Islamic and Jewish communities, eating choices have historically reinforced boundaries. Yet food also facilitated unexpected connections: culinary hybridities can show the different faces of exploitation, colonial violence and resilience. Food-related feelings, like taste and disgust, are socially constructed and reflect power dynamics. Today, these issues persist: quinoa’s globalization raises ethical questions about Indigenous rights, while food deserts in urban centres highlight class and racial disparities in access to nutrition. From food being used to mould ideal bodies in 20th-century diet culture to eating the body of Christ through the eucharist and kitchen work being a gendered activity, food practices are key in almost every aspect of human life.This conference aims to ground theoretical discussions on food, production, eating and drinking into concrete spaces and social actors. In a world grappling with cultural fragmentation and ecological precarity, food remains a universal language—one that carries the flavours of history and the seeds of change. Edible Boundaries invites participants to savour this complexity, exploring how the simple act of eating reveals the deepest layers of human experience.We aim to bring together scholars working in the humanities and social sciences leading new conversations about food and drink. Selected contributions may be published as an edited collection in the Warwick Series in the Humanities (with Routledge).We accept proposals for 20-min papers touching on, but not limited to, the following topics:Medieval guild feasts and modern culinary tourism as performances of identityThe role of food in colonial conquest and its contemporary reckoningsDecentring global food historiesGender, labour, and the material culture of kitchens across erasThe materiality of food, consumption and consumerismClimate anxiety and the revival of historical preservation techniquesThe paradox of “authenticity” in globalized foodscapesFood heritage, national cuisines and nationalism in the 21st century  

With Professor Paul Behrens and Dr Juan Pablo Cordero, chaired by Professor Sarah BridleMany decisions about our food system are being made based on data and computer models, including how we should respond to climate change, what subsidies governments should provide, and what changes supermarkets should make. But how do we know if these numbers and models are reliable? When should we trust them, and when should we be asking more questions?Transparency is often suggested as a solution, but what would that actually look like in practice? Can we imagine a world where researchers, policymakers, and practitioners share their data and models openly -- combining their insights to create something more powerful than any one group could achieve alone?Our panel brings together expertise from energy systems, astrophysics, and food system modelling. They'll share how they build computer models to understand our food system, the practical challenges they face, and what they've learned about using these tools to inform real-world decisions. Expect an honest conversation about the potential and the pitfalls.