As part of the UK-CGIAR funded iSPARK project, University of Leeds researchers are working with iShamba (producers of TV series Shamba Shape Up & a phone-in farm advisory centre) to deliver a service for farmers on intercropping options & current weather forecasts that are location-specific.

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This collaboration between research and service providers allows Kenyan farmers to be better informed by real-time and location specific data, leading to climate-resilient decision-making among the farmers.

youtu.be/GY_E3YlIFQM?...

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We must also consider how accessible new technologies are to women, youth and low income households.

Dr Mapenzie Tauzie's research focuses on the ways in which digital transformations of agriculture may reinforce social inequalities in #Malawi:

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

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Effective collaboration extends to training & skills sharing across academics too.

Through the FSNet Africa project, Uni. Leeds academics worked with 10 universities across 6 countries to provide mentorship, training & capacity building to early career African researchers.

👉 fsnetafrica.com

Under the FoSTA Health project, Hemant Tripathi & Steve Sait are working with international partners to explore the role of woodlands in maintaining natural predator populations.

Woodlands within agricultural landscapes can reduce risk of pests (mosquitoes & ticks) within central Zambia.

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This research is important because it can help inform farmers' use of pest and disease control methods, especially in areas where agricultural land is expanding and harmful chemical pesticides are increasingly overused as a pest management strategy.

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

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Intercropping legumes within primary crops and using grasses at field margins can reduce crop pests because of the respective effects these plants have on target species.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Olufemi Adesina is working with International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Kenya on how the push-pull approach in agroecological practices can reduce crop pest pressure.

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Find out more about the work to drive civic change across local food systems:

Effie's research profile environment.leeds.ac.uk/see/staff/14...

Sara's research profile environment.leeds.ac.uk/geography/st...

Sonja / FoodWise profile foodwiseleeds.org/about/

Dr Effie Papargyropoulou engages with policymakers at local & national level, providing research evidence to support food policy change.

She co-developed a tool to measure social, environmental & economic impact of local food initiatives that transform urban food systems by empowering citizens

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Prof @sgonzalezsara.bsky.social focuses on transforming the food system by collaborating with local groups & policymakers to support civic change.

She’s on the FoodWise Steering Group, which recently focused on public food procurement—schools & hospitals buying nutritious, locally produced food.
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Sonja Woodcock is the Coordinator at FoodWise Leeds.

FoodWise collaborates with GFEI, Leeds City Council, & third sector & community partners to build a good food movement. Together we produced the Leeds Food Strategy – a citywide approach for health, food security, the economy, & net zero.

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Thirze Hermans explored farmer-led approaches to soil health in Malawi by co-developing soil health evaluation tools, blending local farmers' knowledge with on-farm research trials to improve understanding of contextualised soil nutrient processes.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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The authors stress that success will require integrating farmers, policymakers, industry, & researchers in long-term, co-designed experiments with robust metrics to track progress.

Read the issue: royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rstb/202...
Read the paper: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

Staff & students met with employees & business owners across Whitby, Scarborough, & Hull, from growing seaweed off the Yorkshire coast, a Lobster Hatchery, a food bank, & an urban community garden in Hull.

Find out more about the course: courses.leeds.ac.uk/j786/sustain...

As part of the course, students have access to world-leading University of Leeds researchers whose research spans the global food system.

This film 👇, produced by Dr Rory Padfield, captures the 2024/25 cohort's summer 2025 fieldtrip to the Yorkshire Coast.

youtu.be/4b9-UN5etCw?...

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During our International Food Systems Research Week, we welcomed visitors from South Africa, Zambia, Malawi & Tanzania—spanning academia, industry & government.

We focused on research & innovation collaboration opportunities across academia, industry & key policy themes medium.com/globalfoodle...

At the University of Leeds Research Farm, researchers work with UK farmers to co-design #RegenerativeAgriculture trials under the FixOurFood programme.

These trials explore how regen ag impacts soil & crop health—and the real-world challenges farmers face 🌱

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVDn...

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