Online Library: Food Climate Research Network

[Alison Banville]

Useful link - 
http://www.fcrn.org.uk/research-library

Aims and scope
The FCRN's aim is to increase our understanding of how the food system contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and what we can do to reduce them.

Its focus is broad, encompassing technological options, behaviour change and the policy dimension. We look at the role of technology in reducing food-related emissions but also at what changes in our behaviour (in what and how we eat) are also needed – bearing in mind too the complex interactions between technological developments and changing behavioural norms. We explore the role that government, the business community, non-governmental organisations and individuals could play in tackling food related emissions. Finally, we recognise that the climate challenge needs to be seen in a broader social, ethical and environmental context. We look at how actions to reduce GHG emissions might affect other areas of concern such as human food security, animal welfare, and biological diversity.

Work
The FCRN works in the following ways:

Research: It undertakes its own research into the food chain, its GHG impacts and the options for emissions reduction. All our publications can be found here.

Knowledge sharing: The FCRN sends out twice weekly e-newsletters to a wide range of people in Government, the food industry, non governmental organisations and the academic and research communities, and whose collective expertise includes everything from soil science, to life cycle analysis, human nutrition, the psychology and sociology of human behaviour, to food packaging. The e-newsletters provide summaries and commentary on newly published reports, information on events, topical news items and more. Importantly, mailing list members also use the list to ask questions of each other, share comments and views, and highlight work that they have done. See here for the latest issue. If you want to join, see here.

Knowledge base: There is a huge amount of information on this website, and we are constantly updating and expanding it. The aim is to provide a comprehensive learning resource for anyone wanting to learn more about food and climate change. We hold an indepth, frequently updated research library, feature the activities of FCRN members through our interview series, and highlight relevant research projects and events

Communication: The FCRN presents widely and frequently to varied audiences, including government, the food industry, NGOs, academics and students. As regards international events we try to avoid air travel to give presentations about GHG mitigation, but happily present via video conferencing, or (time permitting) travel by train.

Seminars: We run workshops, seminars and conferences on an ad-hoc basis, sometimes in collaboration with other organisations.

Funding
The Food Climate Research Network was set up in 2004. It is based at the University of Surrey and is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).