STFC Food Security Network+

The STFC Food security Network+ brings together food researchers with STFC researchers and facilities to tackle food security challenges. The SFN activities are divided into three Themes: Theme 1: Sustainable Food Production. Developing food production systems that maintain healthy soils, reduce impact on the natural environment and provide reliable yield in the face of changing climate. Theme 2: Resilient Food Supply Chains. Monitoring, modelling and design of food supply chains to enhance resilience, environmental and social benefits, and public health. Theme 3: Improved Nutrition and Consumer Behaviours. Investigating how best to change consumer behavior to enhance nutrition and health whilst reducing waste and demands on land, energy and water. Running across each of these themes is existing STFC expertise that can address important research questions within and between the food themes, and catalyse new research activity: Expertise A: STFC Data Science. Astronomers and particle physicists routinely analyse Tbs of data in large international collaborations which share code and frameworks. This necessitates the use of novel algorithms to sift and/or extract the key information about the Universe. Expertise B: STFC Technology. STFC researchers routinely push the boundaries of cutting edge technology for building space, CERN and STFC instrumentation e.g. precision engineering of lens systems to a fraction of the thickness of a human hair and hyper-fast and/or sensitive detectors. Expertise C: STFC Facilities. STFC hosts world-leading beamlines including Diamond synchrotron and ISIS neutron and muon beams, used to determine molecular to subatomic structures. Furthermore, Hartree and UKATC play leading roles in data science and technology. Network+ Factsheets provide more detail on each of the above topics: more information on the food themes aimed at STFC researchers; more information on STFC capabilities aimed at food researchers. There is a kick-off survey to raise awareness of the network, publicise the factsheets, increase the Membership and identify areas of greatest interest for meetings. The Network+ has a wide and inclusive Membership which is brought together by Annual Network+ Meetings. At these meetings the topics for smaller Sandpits are decided at which STFC and food researchers are brought together to brainstorm ideas for Small Scale Scoping studies. 8 Small Scale Scoping studies will be funded (<8k each) followed by 3 Proof of Concept studies (<40k each) and an Impact Sandpit at which ideas are pitched to a panel including Industry members and stakeholders in a Dragon's Den format.