PhD Studentship in Ecology and Agri-Environmental Research

Project title:  Co-design of a pollinator-friendly food labelling scheme

Department/School: Sustainable Land Management, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Supervisors:  Prof Simon Potts and Dr Tom Breeze

Project Overview:   Wild and managed pollinators provide a wide range of benefits to society in terms of contributions to food security, social and cultural values, and the maintenance of wider biodiversity. However, pollinators face numerous threats and there are well-documented declines in wild and managed pollinators worldwide. However, many effective policy and management responses can be implemented to safeguard pollinators and sustain pollination services. 

One promising approach to help pollinators is expanding engagement with pollinator conservation beyond farmers to include retailers and consumers. This project explores the value of pollinators to processors, retailers and other businesses and will work with them to develop a certification scheme for food products. This will allow consumers to understand how pollinator-friendly the practices are on the farm where the food item comes from, allowing them to make an informed choice. To develop such a scheme, there needs to be a set of scientifically supported environmental standards and a way of assessing these in order to determine whether produce comes from a pollinator-friendly supply chain.

This PhD is based in the world-leading pollinator research group at Reading University and will work closely with leading industry producers, such as Innocent drinks, to co-develop a novel certification scheme to help consumers, retailers, and growers develop pollinator-positive practices. The candidate will receive high-quality training throughout their studies and gain valuable insights into how leading industry partners can successfully adopt sustainability approaches.

Eligibility: 

• Applicants should hold or expect to gain a minimum of a 2:1 Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Biology/Ecology/Agriculture/Economics related subject
• Due to restrictions on the funding this studentship is open to UK applicants.

Funding Details:   

• Starts 1 October 2024
• 3-year award
• Funding covers full tuition fees plus UKRI stipend (currently £18,622 for the 2023/24 academic year.

How to apply:  

To apply click “Apply for a Programme”, create your account, and use the link sent by email to start the application process.   During the application process please select the PhD in Ecology and Agri-Environmental Research School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

*Important notes*

• Please quote the reference ‘DRC24-007’ in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box which appears within the Funding Section of your on-line application.
• If the application system prompts you to submit a research proposal, please paste in the project title and move on to the next step in the application.

Application Deadline:  28 March 2024

Further Enquiries:  

Please note that, where a candidate is successful in being awarded funding, this will be confirmed via a formal studentship award letter; this will be provided separately from any Offer of Admission and will be subject to standard checks for eligibility and other criteria. 

For further details please contact Prof Simon Potts, s.g.potts@reading.ac.uk

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