The University of Hertfordshire has been awarded a £400,000 research grant with the aim of helping maximise quality food production post Brexit.
In a joint venture with the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), University of London, the grant will launch an investigation into how ruminant production, marketing and policy systems can maximise quality food production and economic viability.
This will be coupled with the aim of promoting sustainable land use and management including environmental and antimicrobial stewardship.
Sustainability in a changing world
The project is entitled, ‘Achieving sustainable UK beef and sheep production and marketing systems in a changing environment’, is supported by the Cadogan Charity.
The research opportunity is being driven by the need to improve the UK’s current beef and sheep systems to ensure that it is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.
Working closely with farms and with producers in the agri-food sectors, the university will aim to identify strategies and policies that provide reasonably priced products that are profitable and equitable across the food value chain, post-Brexit.
This research is part of the university’s commitment to and investment in food security research, as part of its Feed the World campaign.
The Feed the World Campaign aims to invest £20 million in groundbreaking research to improve food security in the UK and developing nations over the next 10 years.
It also aims to bring together some of the brightest minds and leading innovators to pioneer new ‘on the ground’ solutions to help alleviate hunger for millions of people.
Improving the system
Speaking about the opportunity, Prof. David Barling, director of the Centre for Agriculture, Food and Environmental Management and principal investigator on the project said: “This project is of major strategic importance and we are delighted to have been awarded the grant jointly with the RVC.
“As part of our research, we will investigate the impacts of beef and sheep production and marketing systems – in terms of environment, drug and chemical use, animal health and welfare, economic efficiency as well as social welfare.”
According to the professor, the research will be conducted with the aim of making recommendations for policy change to support improved systems.
