Future of Food seminar: Dr Christian Reynolds
Mapping the knowledge that shapes food policy: Strengths, blind spots and funding patterns in European food systems research
Dr Christian Reynolds, City St George's University of London
Date: Thursday 19 November, 16:00, Oxford Martin School or online
Abstract: Food systems research is expanding rapidly, but what kinds of knowledge are most visible to policymakers, who produces and funds that knowledge, and where do important gaps remain? This seminar presents findings from a bibliographic mapping of 7.218 policy documents, 26,692 academic publications and 14,656 research grants across the EU, UK, EEA, and Switzerland using Dimensions and Overton databases. By tracing connections between policy citations, published research, funders, institutions and collaborations, the analysis provides a distinctive view of research that enters policy-facing evidence systems.
The findings reveal a substantial but concentrated funding landscape and strong research capacity around climate action, land, health and food security. Nearly half of the mapped documents address climate, food, and health together, suggesting a meaningful foundation for systems-oriented research. However, equity, gender, poverty, institutional change and systems governance are considerably less variable. The field also appears stronger at diagnosing food system problems than at explaining how change can be implemented, evaluated and made economically and politically feasible.
The presentation will consider what these patterns mean for researchers, funders and policymakers. It will conclude by identifying opportunities for more inclusive collaboration, research synthesis and investment in the connective infrastructure between evidence and action.
About Christian: Dr Christian Reynolds is an expert in food loss and waste, sustainable diets, and food policy. He has researched and addressed these issues globally and has published extensively. He has provided evidence to parliaments and played a role in developing standards for food loss and waste accounting. His recent work focuses on citizen science, sustainability in the UK food system, and the environmental impact of public procurement. Currently, he is leading a project on optimising the role of nature-based solutions in the UK for climate adaptation. He is also involved in a project investigating the effects of food taxes on the entire food system. He has previously held positions at WRAP where he worked on international food sustainability and integrating healthy sustainable eating and food waste reduction policies. Additionally, he has collaborated with global partners such as the World Bank, NRDC, and WWF.