Sustainable Agriculture
Landscape Management
As well as considering the links between the natural and agricultural systems, EERG research also takes a holistic view of agri-environmental landscape management. By integrating our understanding of the ecological impacts of farming with social, political, and economic approaches, EERG researchers are working at the forefront of global sustainability science. This is typified by the AFRICAP project, an £8m grant funded through the Global Challenges Research Fund to define sustainable future strategies for agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (Malawi, Tanzania, South Africa and Zambia). AFRICAP seeks to help smallholder farmers, in particular, to meet both food security and economic development needs.
In the developed world, EERG researchers work to develop ideas around sustainable intensification, again incorporating the breadth of social, economic and ecological approaches that are required to ensure that food production is increased without further costs to the environment. These collaborative projects mean that EERG works closely with the Centre for Plant Science (whose focus is on crop biology and yield), the Heredity Disease and Development Group (whose focus is on animal development and nutrition), and Food@Leeds (a multidisciplinary group of researchers working on food security).
Key researchers
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Name |
Areas of expertise |
| Professor Tim Benton Professor of Population Ecology; UK Champion for Global Food Security |
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Professor Lisa Collins |
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Dr Henry Greathead |
Ruminants: nutrition; growth; metabolism; Plant extracts/secondary metabolites |
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Dr Christopher Hassall |
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Dr Katie McDermott |
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Dr Rupert Quinnell |
Population biology and control of parasitic diseases |
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Dr Steven Sait |
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Dr Amy Taylor |
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Professor Frank Dunshea |
Research projects
o Food security and development in Africa – The AFRICAP Project, an £8m Global Challenges Research Fund project led by Professor Tim Benton, is focussed on creating evidence-based policy to develop sustainable, productive, agricultural systems. His team’s research aims to support smallholding farmers in Africa, to meet food security and economic development needs.
o Understanding attitudes to nature - Developing novel approaches to landscape management requires an understanding of public attitudes to change. Chris Hassall’s research is investigating the link between biodiversity and human perceptions of landscape value, with a focus on health outcomes. These approaches use a combination of fieldwork and computer visualisation tools to explore how people respond to environmental change.