Molly Foster
PGR Students
Molly's undergraduate degree was in Human Sciences (BA hons) at St Catherine's College, University of Oxford, during which time she has a particular interest in human ecology and food system transformation and was a part of the IFSTAL network. She went on to work as a research assistant for the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, also at Oxford, researching corporate investment in the alternative protein sector, before commencing PhD research at NRI in 2022.
Primary Supervisor
Professor John F Morton
Professor of Development Anthropology
Secondary Supervisor(s)
Dr Conor Walsh
Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Sustainability
Thesis Title
The 'framing battle' for meat: perspectives from UK food activism
Project Description
Molly's PhD research explores the discourse around livestock and the environment. The rearing of livestock animals globally is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and land use change, alongside other environmental challenges. Simultaneously, the role of livestock in global food systems is embedded in complex questions about food security, nutrient cycling, animal welfare, animal rights, and efficiency gains - among others. This discourse is also often described as highly polarising. Drawing on anthropological methods and concepts from Science and Technology Studies, Molly's research analyses knowledge construction processes in activist and advocacy groups working in this space.
Molly's undergraduate degree was in Human Sciences (BA hons) at St Catherine's College, University of Oxford, during which time she has a particular interest in human ecology and food system transformation and was a part of the IFSTAL network. She went on to work as a research assistant for the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, also at Oxford, researching corporate investment in the alternative protein sector, before commencing PhD research at NRI in 2022.
Primary Supervisor
Professor John F Morton
Professor of Development Anthropology
Secondary Supervisor(s)
Dr Conor Walsh
Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Sustainability
Thesis Title
The 'framing battle' for meat: perspectives from UK food activism
Project Description
Molly's PhD research explores the discourse around livestock and the environment. The rearing of livestock animals globally is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and land use change, alongside other environmental challenges. Simultaneously, the role of livestock in global food systems is embedded in complex questions about food security, nutrient cycling, animal welfare, animal rights, and efficiency gains - among others. This discourse is also often described as highly polarising. Drawing on anthropological methods and concepts from Science and Technology Studies, Molly's research analyses knowledge construction processes in activist and advocacy groups working in this space.