PhD Studentship: Moving Towards “Net Zero” Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Tea Production in Kenya

Start date: 30/09/2024   

Funding 

This fully funded studentship sponsored by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and supported by Lipton Teas and Infusions will provide a bursary starting at £19,237 (tax free) plus UK tuition fees for four years.  

Type of opportunity

1. Fully-funded studentship - Opportunities which are fully funded (e.g. covers all fees and stipend)

Eligibility & Related Project Details 

Fee status of eligible applicants: UK

Duration of Award if full time preferred*: 4 years

1^st Supervisor: Professor Paul Burgess   

2^nd Supervisor: Professor Wilfred Otten 

Introductory Paragraph     

We are seeking an enthusiastic and conscientious applicant for this fully-funded PhD scholarship (UK tuition fees, stipend and experimental costs) starting on 30 September 2024, which will include field-work in Kenya. The successful applicant will advance the quantification of the carbon and nitrogen dynamics of tea production and identify management changes which can help to move tea production towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions. 

Main Copy

Many supermarkets have targets to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for their supply chains by 2050. LIPTON Teas and Infusions is the largest buyer of tea in the World and also produces its own tea on estates in Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. Emissions associated with tea production (scope 1 and 3) contribute a significant proportion of the overall company carbon footprint and LIPTON Teas and Infusions is therefore seeking to reduce its GHG emissions (Lipton Teas and Infusions, 2024). Existing research suggests that about three quarters of the GHG emissions associated with tea production in Kenya are related to the production, transport and use of nitrogen fertilisers (Rigarlsford et al. 2020), and hence nitrogen fertilisers are a focus for this research.

The proposed aim of this PhD is to advance the quantification of the carbon and nitrogen dynamics of tea production and identify potential management changes to help move tea production towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions. 

The unique features of the PhD include the capacity to work alongside a team of researchers and field managers within the LIPTON-Cranfield prosperity partnership, with access to new experiments and greenhouse gas analysis and other equipment. The successful PhD candidate will have the opportunity to undertake extended periods of fieldwork in Kenya. The candidate will also benefit from being able to join the 2024 cohort of the BBSRC FoodBioSystems Doctoral Training Partnership involving Cranfield University and five other universities https://research.reading.ac.uk/foodbiosystems/.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a first or second class UK honours degree or equivalent in a discipline related to agriculture, plant science, biology, or ecology. An MSc or equivalent experience in these topics and experience in field-work, modelling and statistics is desirable. A willingness and capacity to work independently and as part of team on LIPTON Tea Estates in Kenya for prolonged fieldwork periods will be necessary.  

Funding

To be eligible for this funding, applicants must be classified as a home student. We require that applicants are under no restrictions regarding how long they can stay in the UK. 

How to apply

For further information please contact: Paul Burgess
Name: Professor Paul Burgess
Email: p.burgess@cranfield.ac.uk

Academic profile link: https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/people/professor-paul-burgess-784015    

Keywords

Greenhouse gas, carbon, nitrogen, crop, ecology, agriculture, fertilizer, plant science, agronomy, agriculture, climate change, regenerative

Application Deadline: 26/06/2024

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