NATURAL
RESOURCES
INSTITUTE

Knowledge for a sustainable world

Political Ecology, Culture and Arts

Creative Placemaking and Arts-Based Approaches. Regional Innovation Fund.

Scoping potential approaches on nature futures in Medway. Innovative dialogues using social learning and arts-based method on food futures and nature futures in Kent and the UK. Tanya Stathers and Valerie Nelson

‘Transformative Change for telecoupled agrofood systems for biodiversity and equity (TCforBE)’ project.

(EU Horizon, 2023-26). Funded by the EU Horizon Scheme, with Wageningen University, Netherlands, University of the Andes, Colombia, University of Dschang, Cameroon, the University of Kabianga, Kenya, IDDRI and CIRAD, France, and Hanken University, Finland. The project explores transformative pathways in food systems, moving beyond reform-oriented market-based mechanisms to explore more radical alternatives. Includes research on rural imaginaries, the more-than-human and emotional ecologies, consumption and biodiversity, rights of nature and transformative change, social movements, collective action and commoning for transformative change, as well as facilitating learning cycles and dialogues in partner countries and in the EU. Valerie Nelson, Jeremy Haggar, Adrienne Martin.

Social learning for people-centred land governance:

Social learning for LandCollaborative, a Global Community of Practice involving social learning cycles and co-production of learning outputs for the LandCollaborative (International Land Coalition, Mekong Delta Rural Land Governance Programme and WeltHunger Hilfe (WHH) LandforLife programme) on engaging, influencing and resisting the private sector in relation to agricultural investments and people-centred land governance (2021). Engaged 27 organisations in 13 countries working on land rights exploring direct engagement and advocacy strategies and limitations, strengthening capacities and informing the stakeholder platform strategies. Julian Quan, Valerie Nelson, Richard Lamboll, Lora Forsythe, Kaysara Khatun.

Partnerships for Forests Programme:

Evaluative learning, development of an evaluative transformative change framework, case studies on the Integrated Bukit Tigapuluh Landscape Programme, Sumatra (2019 and 2021) and studies on non-timber forest products and landscape governance innovations in Colombia and Brazil (2021). Valerie Nelson, Adrienne Martin.

Critical analysis and assessment of fair trade and sustainability market-based mechanisms and responsible business approaches.

Multiple studies on fair and ethical trade schemes, sustainability standards and certification impacts, social impacts of corporate codes of practice, sector transformation and sustainable landscape approaches, responsible business and ethical trade schemes, trade and global value chains social and economic upgrading innovations, and sustainable finance for diverse donors and research councils (FCDO, ILO, Fairtrade International, Fairtrade Foundation, Max Havelaar, ISEAL, Better Cotton Initiative, Rainforest Alliance, Dutch government). This work led the way asking questions about the effectiveness, impact, politics and governance of private standards and alternative, solidarity trade schemes and initiatives. It generated extensive evidence on impacts, research on the politics and ethics of value chain sustainability governance, and highlighted the inherent limitations and problems associated with market-based mechanisms for sustainability and transformative change. Valerie Nelson, Adrienne Martin, Ravinder Kumar. Recent studies on human rights and environmental due diligence by Valerie Nelson with Olga Martin Ortega, and rights of Nature, Stacy Banwell.

Politics and governance implications of private standards initiatives in Kenyan agri-food chains (2008-2011)

With the Universities of Leeds and Nairobi (ESRC-DFID). This research explored actor struggles over value chain sustainability governance and the emerging role of private actors in shaping narratives and practices. Looking beyond the vertical, the research explored the embedded nature of global value chains and the power inequalities infused in such agrofood chains, the contingent nature of smallholder and worker agency and participation, and the governmentality of sustainability standards and codes. The control-oriented nature of ethical governance was identified as well as areas of resistance and alternative economy narratives. Valerie Nelson, Adrienne Martin in collaboration with University of Leeds, Anne Tallontire.

Transdisciplinarity and participatory learning approaches in sustainable agriculture and agroecology

Over several decades including pioneering work on participatory video to support community enquiry, communication and advocacy on livelihoods and the environment in Malawi (1996-98, DFID funded), Farms of the Future project involving facilitation of farmer and agriculture stakeholder learning journeys on climate adaptation in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Tanzania (CCAFS, 2011-13), National Learning Alliances using multi-stakeholder social learning cycles on sustainable agriculture in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Ghana and Ethiopia (DFID SAIRLA programme), and participatory farming learning including video documentation in evaluative learning on FAO Strengthening Climate Resilience Programme (EC Global Climate Change Alliance, Malawi, 2015-19). Recent study for Agrinatura on Agroecology and Value Chains with FIBL. Richard Lamboll, Valerie Nelson, Adrienne Martin.

Studies on gender, intersectionality and climate change

e.g. Empowerment of drylands women and environmental resilience (UNDP), on gender and climate (Oxfam/DFID, 2002; UNDP-Viet Nam, 2010), generations, gender, climate and social protection (UNICEF, 2010), and work supporting African Climate Fellows programme with a focus on gender and intersectionality. Valerie Nelson.

Advisory and esteem work

  • Defra Nature Futures Framework Advisory Group (23-24). Valerie Nelson.
  • United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) GEO 7 Lead Author (2023 – 26), Chapter on Impacts, focusing on Sustainable Development Goals, Representative in the Indigenous and Local Knowledge Taskforce. Valerie Nelson
  • Global advisory group of the International Land Coalition. NRI co-representative in ILC global advisory group, (2021 – ongoing). Valerie Nelson.
  • IPBES ‘Transformative Change Assessment of Inter-Governmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ (IPBES) (2022-24). Lead author in Chapter 4. ILK dialogue author representative. Valerie Nelson.
  • Inter-Governmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services – Scoping Study on Business and Biodiversity. ILK dialogue author representative. Valerie Nelson
  • IPBES ‘Methodological Assessment on incorporating multiple values of nature and nature’s contributions to people for just and sustainable futures.’ Chapter 5. Inter-Governmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services – Contributing Author. Valerie Nelson

Recent conferences and presentations

  • Development Studies Association Panels on ‘Relationality and Socionatures’ - 2023.
  • Development Studies Association Panel on ‘Exploring Relational, Political Ecology, Indigenous and Arts-based perspectives on Socionature Justice’ (DSA, 2024).

PhDs and teaching

  • Lachlan Kenneally: PhD on ‘Relational and political ecology perspectives on urban food and commoning in Bristol’.
  • Riley Hickman: PhD on ‘Soil(ed) Relations: Synergies and Struggles in Soil Relations and Politics’ in collaboration with Simon Wilcox, Rothamstead.
  • Niall Readfern: PhD on ‘Niall Readfern, PhD on Power and Perspective: Investigating interactions between telecoupled agrofood systems and plural landscape meanings in biodiversity rich forest landscapes in Kenya.’
  • Insights used to inform teaching on the MSc on Transformative Change for Sustainable Development offered by UoG, especially the module on Regenerative Politics, Economies and Societies.

Research Group Lead

  • Valerie Nelson is a Professor of Sustainability and Political Ecology. She has an anthropological and rural environmental policy academic background and a PhD on the systemic constraints of responsible business and regenerative alternatives. She has 30+ years of experience in development and environment studies, with a particular focus on food, agriculture, social justice and the environment. She has current interests in relational and political ecology perspectives, and on specific topics such as alternative, diverse and post-growth economies, human-nature relations, social movements and action research, gender and environmental intersectionalities, and transformative change.

This research group is concerned with the ongoing and intensifying damage to ecologies and societies, and questions of justice and sustainability.

Mobilizing and traversing diverse disciplines including political ecology, anthropology, environmental sociology, human geography and the arts, we seek to advance specific perspectives on relationality, (de)coloniality and eco-justice.

We aim to contribute new thinking and teaching on contemporary and evolving research themes, working in equitable partnerships, guided by care ethics to contribute to the amplification and generation of knowledge and change processes for pluriversal, flourishing life.

Diagram showing the theory of change for the Political Ecology, Culture and Arts Research Group.

We are currently working on the following inter-related and evolving research themes relating to diverse ecologies (terrestrial, marine, coastal, urban etc)

  • Relationality, Socionatures & the more than human
  • Ecojustice, Power, & Governance
  • Transformative Change and social movements
  • Food & farming politics and socio-cultures
  • Alternative & post growth economies & commoning
  • Environmental intersectionalities & care ethics

With cross-cutting attentiveness to care ethics, decoloniality and the politics of knowledge.

Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Sciences

NRI researchers address challenges and opportunities relating to the spectrum of activities from food production to consumption, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries particularly in sub-Saharan Africa but increasingly also on those related to the UK. At the primary production end of the scale this includes a particular emphasis of the vectors of disease of people, livestock and crops. Our work post-harvest concentrates on durable and perishable crops to, reduce losses, enhance financial and/or nutritional crop value, improve storage and preservation, improve food processing technologies, ensuring food safety and quality management and, address food loss and waste – all with the ultimate aim of improving the livelihoods and nutritional status of vulnerable, less advantaged populations.

The Chemical Ecology Group works on the identification and use of naturally-produced chemicals for control of pests, particularly in the developing countries.

Climate change and biodiversity loss are two of the biggest global challenges in the coming decades, primarily due to their impacts on the provision of ecosystem services.

The Food Systems Research Group addresses challenges and opportunities relating to the spectrum of activities from food production to consumption.

The work of the Pest Behaviour Group ranges from laboratory-based research to analyse the basic physiology and behaviour of pests and vectors through field-based studies of pest behaviour and ecology to translational research where knowledge of pest behaviour is used to develop innovative control technologies.

The Plant Health Group’s research focusses on reducing yield losses caused by pests and diseases through application of integrated natural and social science approaches. Fundamental research to understand complex plant-virus-vector interactions are focussed on providing critical components needed to generate impact through improved and sustainable control measures.

Anthropology and Development Studies

NRI social scientists are committed to researching major questions about how households and communities in the global South escape from poverty, how they make themselves more resilient to external trends, and how they can be helped by governments and their policies, civil society, market actors, and international agencies. We research these questions in projects we design and lead ourselves, and in collaboration with colleagues from the biophysical sciences, in NRI and beyond.

Our research addresses poverty and vulnerability, and how poor people themselves, governments, the private sector and civil society can help overcome them

 

Impact Case Studies

NRI undertakes interdisciplinary research to improve lives and sustain our planet. We generate new knowledge and insights, carrying out our work together with our global partners and the communities we aim to support, to ensure our research has sustainable impact. From the concept stage to implementation and assessment, delivering real impact is intrinsic to our research projects and programmes, and encompasses our whole research environment organised into interconnected Research Groups and Development Programmes. As part of UKRI’s exercise to assess the impact of research outside academia, we submitted seven impact case studies in REF2021, the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. In this section, you will find summaries of our impact case studies with contact details of the lead academic.

Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN)

The network allows ECRs to come together, to enhance their research and wider development skills in a dynamic and highly multidisciplinary working environment that strives for a vibrant and inclusive culture of research excellence.