Sustainable School Food: Engaging local authorities, schools and food system actors towards a school food Transformation in England
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Management
Abstract
This ESRC fellowship offers the unique opportunity to share my expertise in sustainable school food, impact
policy and practice by developing accessible dissemination materials and design a training toolkit for school food
practitioners. I will demonstrate further academic impact through key publications based on my PhD research. I will also conduct a novel piece of research to address multiple food-related societal issues and engage children directly in shaping their school food.
The sustainability, nutritional value and cost of school meals make them key to young people's wellbeing and local efforts to combat food insecurity and climate change. Growing school youth activism, call for an urgent school food transformation. The cost-of-living crisis, on the other hand, is predicted to lead to a 'race to the bottom' for school food. My doctoral study implemented and evaluated the first sustainable school meal research intervention enhanced by an experiential food education content in three schools in England. I developed a theoretical and practical framework, showing what works, for whom, how and in what contexts, and demonstrating that sustainable school meals and experiential food education should work in tandem.
Findings suggested that improving the health and environmental standards of school food requires placing key school food system actors, pupils, caterers and local farmers, at the heart of school food transformation.
Building on my research expertise in sustainable school food, I am currently developing a sustainable school food landscape for Cornwall as part of a knowledge exchange research project in partnership with Cornwall Council and Sustainable Food Cornwall. Although it has not allowed me to disseminate my PhD findings, my current role (Jan-Dec 2023) is well within my school food work. Part of a larger knowledge exchange team, I am developing a multiple level landscape map where local food producers are linked to schools in Cornwall. I will highlight three cases where school-producer partnership can be established, and where opportunities can be amplified, highlighting challenges and developing a roadmap for sustainable school food transformation for Cornwall.
This Fellowship will enable me to leverage the valuable partnerships I established with key school food stakeholders such as schools, caterers, farmers and local authorities during my PhD and subsequent research. Through those partnerships, I will be in a strong position to disseminate my PhD findings and drive policy and practice change. For example, the Academy for Character and Excellence, are willing to take part in the film and support my proposed new research.
This ESRC fellowship will have a significant impact on my academic contribution, and career trajectory. The Fellowship will allow me to widen my research impact, consolidate my PhD and subsequent research experience, establish myself as an international expert in the fast-growing interdisciplinary field of sustainable school food systems.
During this fellowship I will: -
- Share my doctoral research findings in open access, peer reviewed journals, and international conferences.
- Extend my real-world impact by engaging in public facing dissemination activities and produce a muchneeded practitioner training. The toolkit will include Life Cycle Assessment for school meals, financial analysis templates, recipe and menu planning guide, waste weighing and management as well as reliable and easy to use nutritional analysis tool.
- Develop new methodological skills and plan a future research agenda for sustainable school food.
policy and practice by developing accessible dissemination materials and design a training toolkit for school food
practitioners. I will demonstrate further academic impact through key publications based on my PhD research. I will also conduct a novel piece of research to address multiple food-related societal issues and engage children directly in shaping their school food.
The sustainability, nutritional value and cost of school meals make them key to young people's wellbeing and local efforts to combat food insecurity and climate change. Growing school youth activism, call for an urgent school food transformation. The cost-of-living crisis, on the other hand, is predicted to lead to a 'race to the bottom' for school food. My doctoral study implemented and evaluated the first sustainable school meal research intervention enhanced by an experiential food education content in three schools in England. I developed a theoretical and practical framework, showing what works, for whom, how and in what contexts, and demonstrating that sustainable school meals and experiential food education should work in tandem.
Findings suggested that improving the health and environmental standards of school food requires placing key school food system actors, pupils, caterers and local farmers, at the heart of school food transformation.
Building on my research expertise in sustainable school food, I am currently developing a sustainable school food landscape for Cornwall as part of a knowledge exchange research project in partnership with Cornwall Council and Sustainable Food Cornwall. Although it has not allowed me to disseminate my PhD findings, my current role (Jan-Dec 2023) is well within my school food work. Part of a larger knowledge exchange team, I am developing a multiple level landscape map where local food producers are linked to schools in Cornwall. I will highlight three cases where school-producer partnership can be established, and where opportunities can be amplified, highlighting challenges and developing a roadmap for sustainable school food transformation for Cornwall.
This Fellowship will enable me to leverage the valuable partnerships I established with key school food stakeholders such as schools, caterers, farmers and local authorities during my PhD and subsequent research. Through those partnerships, I will be in a strong position to disseminate my PhD findings and drive policy and practice change. For example, the Academy for Character and Excellence, are willing to take part in the film and support my proposed new research.
This ESRC fellowship will have a significant impact on my academic contribution, and career trajectory. The Fellowship will allow me to widen my research impact, consolidate my PhD and subsequent research experience, establish myself as an international expert in the fast-growing interdisciplinary field of sustainable school food systems.
During this fellowship I will: -
- Share my doctoral research findings in open access, peer reviewed journals, and international conferences.
- Extend my real-world impact by engaging in public facing dissemination activities and produce a muchneeded practitioner training. The toolkit will include Life Cycle Assessment for school meals, financial analysis templates, recipe and menu planning guide, waste weighing and management as well as reliable and easy to use nutritional analysis tool.
- Develop new methodological skills and plan a future research agenda for sustainable school food.
