Dr Effie Papargyropoulou

Profile

I am an environmental social scientist interested in food security and sustainability. In my research I take a systems approach to explore ways we can achieve food security (i.e. access to enough, affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food for all, in a sustainable manner) while respecting planetary boundaries. My research is transdisciplinary by engaging with academic and non-academic stakeholders, and interdisciplinary by combining approaches from various fields.

Before joining the University of Leeds, I worked as a Lecturer in Sustainability in Malaysia at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia for six years, and before that as environmental consultant in the UK.

Responsibilities

• Programme Lead MSc Sustainable Food Systems and Food Security
• Associate Director in Urban Food Systems at the Global Food and Environment Institute

Research interests

My research interests centre around the following topics/ areas:

• Transitions to more sustainable, healthier and more equitable food systems
• Community responses to household food insecurity
• Health inequalities due to food insecurity
• Food surplus redistribution and food poverty
• Food waste prevention along the food supply chain
• Urban food systems

Previous Research projects

Scaling out place-based food initiatives: Understanding how to scale up (i.e. increase the size) or out (i.e. replicate in more places) place-based, community-led food initiatives to increase their positive impact to communities, environment, and local economies across the UK. 

Food hubs for Food Security, Health, Inclusive Growth and Sustainability: Evaluating the benefits that Food Hubs bring to food systems and communities in terms of food security, sustainability, health, resilience and justice, and (ii) providing the necessary evidence base to make the case for policy support and funding.

Labour mobility in transition: a multi-actor study of the re-regulation of migrant work in 'low-skilled' sectors (LIMITS): Investigating the effects of the UK’s departure from the EU, the pandemic, energy costs and supply chain crises, on labour and skills shortages and the ways that food businesses are responding to these challenges.

FAmiSHEd: Interactions between Food wAste, Surplus and HungEr: Addressing the root causes of food poverty and systematic food waste generation

Mapping the Production-Consumption Gap, Health Outcomes and Potential Circular Economy of the Leeds Food System

Research skills for nutrition-sensitive food systems: Reducing hunger, malnutrition and health inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa

KaLi - Kalimantan Lestari: Understanding the multiple drivers, impacts and interventions for peatfires in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Qualifications

• PhD, Sustainability Research, University of Leeds
• MSc, Environmental Engineering, University of Newcastle
• BSc, Geology, National University of Athens

Professional memberships

• Charted Member of the Charted Institution of Waste Management

Student education

• I am the Programme Leader of the MSc Sustainable Food Systems and Food Security
• I am the module leader for FOEV5100M Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems

Research groups and institutes

• Sustainability Research Institute
• Business Organisations for Sustainable Societies
• Environment and Development
• Sustainable Food Systems

Current postgraduate researchers

• Kari Solomon