Food Policy - Postgraduate Research

The MPhil/PhD programme is co-ordinated by Prof Tim Lang. Its purpose is to build an advanced route into academic work in food policy. Its goals are to help students to:

• Acquire the skills to become a professional researcher
• Explore a topic of relevance
• Contribute original work which will extend the current knowledge base
• Help develop public policy thinking on food
• Advance professional work

Students are full-time, part-time and distance learning. Students all begin with admission to the MPhil in the first instance, and a substantial piece of work is demanded for eligibility for transfer to PhD. All students have two supervisors.  Each supervision session is based around the particular student's needs, work programme and completion targets.

Research topics

Current topics include: 

• Changes in the fish commodity chain 
• The use of social marketing for the improvement of nutritional habits in Greece 
• Marketing relationships and practices and their impact on governance in the of fresh produce supply chain 
• The effects of the National Curriculum on food education in the UK
• Social sustainability and the UK horticultural sector
• Policies, priorities and perspectives: an exploration of Laos PDR's food security framework 
• Global food governance and the role of civil society 
• Food Banks and their role in tackling food and low income
• Governance of urban food strategies
• Policy strategies relating to Healthy Start and links to fruit and vegetable procurement
• Exploration of how the media has covered the connection between diet and cancer
• Social class basis of anti-obesity strategies

Past doctoral studies have included:

• Exploring the phenomenon of innovation and the policy environment as it applies to the Canadian functional food and natural health products' 
• Food choices and British Bangladeshis living in Tower Hamlets East London 
• Policy analysis of food security programs in British Columbia, Canada
• Transitions in culinary cultures:  A comparative study of France and Britain
• The UK pesticides policy paradigm in transition