About SFN ProjectsThe STFC Food Network+ (SFN) has funded more than 80 scoping projects since our launch in 2017. Our innovative, collaborative, and impactful projects are funded in order to give them the chance to make a meaningful contribution to the food system. All of our projects combine the expertise of STFC researchers with food researchers and industry practitioners. The diagram shows how STFC capabilities have been applied to tackle different food challenges. Use the interactive map here to view our projects or scroll down the page to find out more about the projects |
Interactive Guide to SFN ProjectsClick on the images below to find out about the projects we have undertaken all around the world!
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2021 Awarded Scoping Projects:
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Virtual Inclusive Farming Clusters: Addressing sustainable livelihoods & digital divide through STFC in Global South
Eapen Pothan Poothicote Mysore Malabar Trading Pvt. Ltd Click + for project summary
The aim of this project is to address the issues of sustainable livelihood and digital divide through STFC in Global South by developing Virtual Inclusive Farming Clusters. The project aims to create a viable and accessible virtual platform especially for Women and Elderly smallholder farmer who find it difficult to coordinate and collaborate due to physical distance and social norms. Using the existing knowledge of successful self-help groups/ farm cooperatives and STFC’s technology and expertise, this project aims to create virtual inclusive farming clusters to exploit economies of scale and peer network in order to address the challenges faced by otherwise invisible and isolated smallholder famers. We will be developing and pilot testing a Digital Platform prototype that will provide Digital Identity and Virtual Organizational Structure for the Clusters which will enhance the access, scale, and reach of the smallholder farmers Food-side Co-Is: Dr Manish Shukla STFC-side Co-Is: Tom Kirkham (STFC Hartree) |
Developing a data-driven communication platform for improving farmed fish distribution in Kenya
Mary Opiyo Kenya Marine, Fisheries Research Institute Click + for project summary
Post-harvest losses in aquaculture account for an estimated around 40% and contribute to food insecurity in Kenya. Thus, post-harvest losses have been a critical issue in farmed fish supply chains due to its negative effects on sustainability. All supply chain actors, especially the smallholder fish farmers face challenges in terms of capacity management due to the gap between supply and demand of fish in Kenya. There are several relevant problems such as poor fish quality/freshness, fish losses & wastage, and low income and capabilities of smallholder farmers. Potential improvements on capacity management through enhancing the communication between the supply chain actors (i.e. farmers, distributors, consumers) can provide a solution to tackle the challenge. Thus, we aim to propose a data-driven proof of concept platform for improving communication linkages between fish supply chain members in Kenya. The platform will enhance the minimisation of postharvest losses and wastage by better balancing supply and demand. This project aims to provide a proof of concept by covering 2 fish producers and 2 fish retailers Food-side CoIs: Dr Oznur Yurt (Roehampton), Ms. Morine Mukami Ngarari (Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute) Dr. Paul Orina (Kenya Marine, Fisheries Research Institute) Prof. Wantao Yu (University of Roehampton) Dr. Baris Yuce (University of Exeter) STFC-side CoIs: Dr Jens Jensen (STFC) |
IoT enabled cold chain for Kenya and Uganda fish market
Domitila Ndinda Kyule Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute Click + for project summary
Fish is the main animal protein for 30% of Africans. Fishing provides employment and livelihood for 9.6% of the Kenyan population and represents 1.5% GDP in Uganda. Although the fishing industry is growing in East African countries (EAC), the post-harvest and distribution losses are 56% due to the lack of cooling. In response, our project will develop a smart cooling container (SCC) equipped with modular-swappable-rechargeable cooling thermal energy storage (coolth batteries) and adopting IoT sensing technology to monitor the fish supply chain in real-time. The IoT-SCC will be mountable on motorbikes, a popular food transportation tool in EAC. We will investigate connecting the IoT-SCC with the broader food supply chain through the internet, allowing real-time information to integrate smallholder fishers with the entire fish supply chain. IoT-SCC is innovative, inexpensive, minimise fish losses, improve smallholder incomes, and improves food security in the region. It can be adopted for vaccine transportation Food-side CoIs: Dr Ahmed Rezk (Aston University) Luciano Batista (Aston Business School) Wantao Yu (Roehampton University) STFC-side CoIs: Tom Kirkham (STFC Hartree) Bryan Shaughnessy (STFC) |
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Evaluating Digital Readiness of UK-India Organic Bilateral Agri-food Trade
Ramanjaneyulu GV Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Hyderabad, India Click + for project summary
In February 2021, the UK and India signed an Enhance Trade Partnership (ETP) and expressed interest in entering into a free trade agreement (FTA), which has led to a new dynamism in trade relationship between India and UK. The ETP, part of a 10- year roadmap of bilateral cooperation, aims to double the annual trade between the UK and India by 2030. The project will explore the potential impact of agri-food trade volumes, commodities traded, prevailing legacy trade practices associated, and digital preparedness on the ability of UK and India to meet the ETP objectives. The project will extract Harmonised System (HS) 6-digit level of disaggregation agri-food products data from the UN-COMTRADE database to model international trade or factor flows that are (at least) double-indexed, involving India and the UK and pool such demand equations across cross-sectional units and time to build a panel data structure of the data. This project will evaluate the dimensions of digital agrifood trade potential between the UK and India along with the digital readiness within both the countries, and create a design for appropriate digital strategies to enhance such potential. Food-Side Co-Is: Dr Sidheswar Panda (IIT Indore, India,) Mr Rakesh Nayak (LeanSig Ltd). Dr Raymond Obayi (University of Manchester) STFC-Side Co-Is: Dr Jens Jensen (STFC) Dr Marion Samler (DAFNI) |
Genome-guided detection of non-O157 STEC
Prof Nicola Holden Scotlands Rural College (SRUC Click + for project summary
Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) are a priority foodborne (FB) bacterial pathogen that cause serious clinical disease, transmitted by a range of foodstuffs. The most common STEC is serogroup O157. However, there are multiple serogroups that have been increasing in prevalence since 2000. Non-O157 STEC now accounts for ~ 30 % of all STEC in Scotland (FSS report, 2020), with similar numbers reported across the EU (Valilis, 2018). They have diverse genomes and variable virulence gene carriage compared to STEC O157, and some are non-pathogenic making associations with clinical disease outcome challenging. This also complicates regulatory control of food-business operators by food standards authorities. Therefore, there is a pressing need for accurate and informative identification. Here, we will define the requirements for computational approaches that distinguish clinical pathotypes of nonO157 STEC, and the steps required for applications to be used in detection and surveillance Food-side Co-Is: Tim Dallman (Public Health England, Roslin Institute) STFC-side Co-Is: Martyn Winn (STFC Scientific Computing Dept) |
SeasonalDRIFT: DRought Impact Forecasting under uncerTainty
Dr Vicky Boult University of Reading Click + for project summary
Droughts threaten food security across Africa and are expected to intensify under future climate change. Impact-based forecasting (IbF) aims to build the resilience of vulnerable communities to drought and prevent food insecurity. However, large uncertainties in seasonal weather predictions and associated impacts can limit the effectiveness of IbF. Better understanding how sources of uncertainty combine and propagate through IbF systems will enable decision makers to implement the most appropriate interventions to prevent food insecurity whilst minimising the risk of acting in vain. SeasonalDRIFT will make use of outputs and methodologies established under existing STFC projects to pilot a new impact-based forecast for drought in Kitui County, Kenya, specifically predicting maize yield and its associated uncertainty. Yield forecasts will support decision-making in anticipation of drought and uncertainty information will guide future efforts to minimise uncertainty in IbF. Food-side Co-Is: Dr Pedram Rowhani (University of Sussex) Dr Edward Pope (UK Met Office) STFC-side CoIs: Dr Pete Hurley, University of Sussex |
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Circular urban vertical farming. Data, models and optimisation of waste flows
Prof Peter Ball University of York Click + for project summary
This project will model circular urban vertical farms for growing nutrient dense fruits and vegetables locally. To develop the model, we will be leveraging the data science capability of STFC-DAFNI to source and harmonise data, then create models of the waste flows in urban areas and optimise those flows to minimise carbon impact. In creating these models, we will use real data from two vertical farms and data from two companies producing valuable materials. The circularity of the vertical farm will be focused on 1. Reducing the heating demand of vertical farms by producing insulators from local brewery spent grain and 2. Feeding the vertical farm using recovered nutrients from local food waste. Overall, we will develop the science of modelling these local food systems, create a tool to model local fruit and vegetable production and provide policy makers with insight to foster local farm production. Food-side Co-Is: Denise Elliott (NIAB(, Prof. Nicola Holden, (SRUC) Dr Ifeyinwa Kanu (IntelliDigest Ltd), Dr Xiaobin Zhao (Wasware Ltd), Dr Ehsan Badakhshan (University of York) STFC-side CoIs: Dr Jens Jensen (STFC) |
Non-disruptive in situ root imaging to investigate the role of soil microbes in cowpea drought stress-adaptive responses
Dr Steve Chivasa Durham University Click + for project summary
The established importance of gut microbes in human health demonstrates the benefits a host organism derives from its resident microbial community. A similar relationship is suspected to exist between the soil microbiome and plants, given their long co-evolutionary history at the soil-root interface. Our recent results confirmed such a relationship by demonstrating that adaptive responses of cowpea plants to drought stress are controlled by soil microbes. Our hypothesis is that soil microbes control cowpea drought responses via regulating root architecture. In this project, we will use non-disruptive neutron beam imaging to visualize microbial influence on root “phenotype” during drought stress. Project outcomes have potential impact on agricultural crop value chains in a hotter and drier climate. Food-side CoIs: Dr Lynsay Blake (Durham University) Dr Kate Dobson (University of Strathclyde) STFC-side CoIs : Dr. Oxana Magdysyuk (STFC), Dr. Fernando Alvarez-Borges (STFC) |
Increasing the Nutrient-Use Efficiency and Crop Productivity of Hydroponics using SMART Sensors and 3D-Multispectral Crop Imaging
Dr Steve Grundy Nottingham Trent University Click + for project summary
Traditionally, hydroponic growers manage the nutrient concentration of their hydroponic solutions using electrical conductivity (EC), with the EC of the solution indicating the sum of all ions within the solution, which lacks accuracy of individual nutrient and real-time control . The development of ion-selective electrodes (ISE) which are able to measure macro-elemental availability solution (including N,P,K, Ca, Mg, S, Cl) in hydroponic nutrient solution in real-time, allows for precision management of individual elements throughout a crop growth cycle. Combining ISEs with SMART environmental sensory data includes (Temperature, humidity, light intensity) and highthroughput multi-spectral 3D scanning technology (Phenospex PlantEye) to phenotype crop performance, this project aims to study the effect of macro-element availability on crop growth to develop precision management strategies, allowing for the optimization of hydroponic nutrient management under fluctuating environmental conditions to reduce chemical input and increase crop yield, quality and nutritional value. Food-side Co-Is: Professor Chungui Lu, (Nottingham Trent University), Professor Wantao Yu, (University of Roehampton), Dr David Gray (University of Nottingham) STFC-side Co-Is: Dr Tom Kirkham (STFC Hartree Centre) |
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Identify high yield protein extraction from seaweed via understanding structure-function relationship of cell wall
Dr Parag Acharya University of Greenwich Click + for project summary
The independent UK Committee on Climate Change has stressed the need for a sustainable diet shift to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. As seaweed cultivation does not compete with food crops for land and natural resources, the adoption of seaweed proteins should help enabling a sustainable diet shift. However, the major barrier is poor protein extractability due to cell wall structure of seaweed which incurs high cost in use. This project will deliver initial leads for eco-innovative solutions to improve extractability and sensory quality of protein from the UK-sourced seaweed. The complimentary study plan to develop structural insights of seaweed cell wall and protein location will help building a preliminary understanding of how the cell wall structure dictates the efficacy of a particular protein extraction method. This outcome will lay the foundation for more in-depth studies via larger grants from the UKRI and/or Horizon Europe. Food-side CoIs: Dr Yixing Sui (University of Greenwich), Prof Patricia Harvey (University of Greenwich), Dr Birthe Nielsen (University of Greenwich), Dr Wayne Martindale (University of Lincoln) STFC-side CoIs: Dr Sarah Rogers (STFC) |
Understanding the role of additives in chocolate manufacture: linking molecular interactions to bulk rheology
Prof Wilson Poon University of Edinburgh Click + for project summary
A recent paradigm shift in the understanding of dense suspensions has identified interparticle friction as a key factor in modifying bulk rheological properties. This new understanding gives insight into the common industry practice of adding various molecular ‘rheology modifiers’ to different products, e.g., addition of lecithin to chocolate. Despite this development, there is limited mechanistic understanding of how these additives modify particle-particle interactions at a molecular level, and how such modification translates to the bulk rheological properties at length scales many orders of magnitude larger. In this project we will probe the link between molecular interactions and bulk rheology using a combination of molecular dynamics simulations, discrete element modelling and bulk rheological experiments. The focus will be on how lecithin molecules interact with sucrose surfaces in an oil environment and give broader insight into how functional additives can be used to modify process and mouth-feel properties of such food products. Food-side CoIs: Dr Daniel Hodgson (Edinburgh Complex Fluids Partnership - University of Edinburgh), Dr Chris Ness (University of Edinburgh) STFC-side CoIs: Richard Anderson STFC Hartree), Tseden Taddese (STFC Hartree), Patrick Warren (STFC Hartree) |
Space technology applications for portable cold food storage in India
Dr Bryan Shaughnessy STFC Click + for project summary
The FAO estimate that around a third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted (https://bit.ly/35Ofuj7). This is both staggering and shocking! Around 90% of food wastage in developing countries occurs in the supply chain, rather than by the consumer (https://bit.ly/3gQEPz3). These are countries where cooling and refrigerated infrastructure is less likely to be employed effectively. Therefore, this focus of this study is cost effective and efficient portable cold storage for foods. An efficient ‘cold chain’ supply infrastructure is part of the solution. These solutions could be used throughout the supply chain to reduce wastage. The present study will focus on fruits and vegetable supply in Southern India. Specifically we will consider how the technologies and rigorous design approaches used for thermal control of scientific space instruments can be applied to develop better cold storage. Food-side CoIs: Sarang Vaidya (go4fresh.com) STFC-side CoIs: Dr Bryan Shaughnessy (STFC) |
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Developing a Methodology for an Integrated Multi-attribute Sustainability Index: A Case of the UK Food System
Dr Raymond Obayi University of Manchester Click + for project summary
Despite numerous voluntary standards and eco-labels for food sustainability reporting, UK consumers’ and food chain stakeholders are unable to make informed assessments of the sustainability of food production systems and dietary choices against multiple indicators. A strategic priority of Defra, AHDB, and FSA as outlined in the Agriculture Act 2020 is the development of a comprehensive sustainability index for ranking sustainable food production and consumption in the UK against multiple criteria. One of the government Sustainable Agriculture Transition Plan for 2021-2024 is to co-develop a scalable weighting methodology for selecting, ranking and visualising alternative sustainability indicators to support sustainable food choices and other food policy initiatives like the Sustainable Farming Incentive Scheme and a mandatory food sustainability labelling scheme for the UK. In this project, we combine multi-attribute utility theory, citizen science and advanced data analytics and visualisation capabilities of the STFC to develop a methodology and accompanying dataset, as a decision support demonstrator for the selection, ranking and comparison of food sustainability indicators by stakeholders and a scalable Sustainability Index for food systems. Food-side Co-Is: Dr Caitlin Douglas (Kings College London), Dr Stacia Stetkiewicz (Nottingham University), Ee Von Goh, Dr Ximena Schmidt (Brunel University London), Rajneesh Dwevedi STFC-side Co-Is: Dr Martine J Barons (University of Warwick), Jens Jensen (STFC) |
Monitoring tropical pollinators in conventional and organic fruit orchards in central Thailand
Dr Alyssa Stewart Mahidol University Click + for project summary
Pollinators are vital to the reproduction of most flowering plants, including important agricultural crops. Yet pollinator populations are declining worldwide, and one of the main causes is widespread use of pesticides. Although the effect of pesticides on European pollinator species has been well studied, there is scarcity of information on tropical pollinators. Currently, there is a global drive for organic farming as an alternative to the conventional use of agrochemicals and many small-scale producers in Thailand are switching to organic farming. This project aims to employ computer vision to automatically monitor the activity of pollinator species in conventional and organic fruit orchards in central Thailand, to assess the effect of the two farming approaches on native pollinator diversity and abundance. The results of this project will provide valuable insights on the effect of pesticides on tropical pollinators and can be used to guide nation-wide and international conservation efforts. Food-side CoIs: Dr Maria Anastasiadi (Cranfield University), Blue Dusk Ltd STFC-side CoIs: Dr Jens Jensen (STFC) |
Multi-sensor Agricultural Robot for Soils (MARS)
Dr Marcelo Valadares Galdos University of Leeds Click + for project summary
Climate change and soil degradation are twin threats to food security. Improving soil health can address both problems, but the spatial and temporal variability of soil physical, chemical and biological properties poses a challenge. With no single sensor capable of effectively monitoring all relevant parameters, new multi-modal sensing methods are urgently needed to make informed crop management decisions. In this project, we will investigate the use of lower cost proximal gamma ray sensing to build spatial maps of key soil properties, using machine learning with other soil covariates. We will work to understand whether gamma ray could be combined with multi-modal sensing methodologies including ultrasound and other sensors mounted on an autonomous vehicle to reduce systematics and build a more detailed picture of soil health. We will test this multisensor framework on a field in a working farm, contributing to a more climate-smart agriculture. Food-side CoIs: Megan Povey (University of Leeds), Shane Xie (University of Leeds), Syed Zaidi (University of Leeds), Jie Xu (University of Leeds) STFC-side CoIs: Patrick Stowell (University of Durham) |
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Identification and monitoring of fish cage aquaculture with remote sensing and machine learning
Safina Musa Kenya Marine & Fisheries Research Institute Click + for project summary
Unregulated mushrooming of fish cages in Lake Victoria as an alternative source of fish poses a threat to lake ecosystem health. Sustainable development of the sector calls for robust, evidence based, decision on site suitability. Objective of the proposed study is to Identify and monitor cage aquaculture with remote sensing and machine learning. The method will use remote sensing of Lake Victoria by collecting and processing multi band Sentinel2 and Planet high resolution imagery, both temporal and spatial. Time series modelling and change detections techniques, often used in STFC research, will be used to model remote sensing data at locations of fish cages. We will use our learnt thresholds to identify new sites for which fish cages could be deployed. Results of this study will have broader applicability to the whole of Lake Victoria and other African Great Lakes, where fish cage culture already occurs or may occur in future. Food-side Co-Is: Rob Thomas, Dr Devendra Saroj (Surrey), Ken Mubea, Rodney Forster STFC-side Co-Is: Dr Pete Hurley (Sussex) |
Modelling, optimizing, and identifying vacant urban spaces for urban food production
Dr Dan Evans Cranfield University Click + for project summary
Current projections suggesting that the global urban population will rise to five billion by 2030 presents a growing dilemma: urban land cover expansion will encroach on the soils required to meet increasing food demands. Making more efficient use of urban spaces for agriculture is therefore critical. To date, urban agriculture has been largely adopted in bespoke food growing sites (e.g., allotments and community gardens). In order to meet rising food demands without intensifying agricultural practices at these sites, we now need to consider other under-utilized, or vacant urban spaces. However, we have virtually no knowledge about the potential of different vacant urban spaces for food production. Building on existing STFC-developed crop growth models, and assembling soils, climate, and socio-economic datasets, this project will develop a decision-making platform to identify the most effective vacant urban spaces for sustainable, resilient, and nutritious food growing. Food-side Co-Is: Spencer Leung, (GO Organics Peace International) Mehroosh Tak (Royal Veterinary College, University of London), Pareena Prayukvong (Wastegetable, Bangkok) STFC-side Co-Is: Peter Hurley (University of Sussex) |
2020 Awarded Scoping Projects
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IoT Enabled Smart Apiary for Remote Auditing and Healthy Production
Click + for project summary
PI - Paulette Elliott (Huduma Limited) Insect pollinators are an essential part of Earth’s ecosystems. Recent, catastrophic reductions in pollinator abundance have raised concerns across the world, resulting in national government pollinator strategies. Honey bees are largely managed in apiaries and, as such, are effectively livestock. Human monitoring is necessary to ensure the health and abundance of colonies, including ensuring adequate nourishment, treatment for disease and parasites and no-destructive harvesting of honey. This management can be costly in terms of time, with physical inspection still the predominant approach. This project seeks to harness the power of modern technology (i.e. Internet of things, data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, earth observation remote sensing, satellite navigation and communication, 4G and 5G) to allow beekeepers, whether commercial or hobbyist, to monitor their colonies remotely. This will allow action to be taken in a timely way and avoid disturbing the insect communities unnecessarily. Food-side Co-Is: Samantha Green, Applied Group (Optifarm), UK; Dr Martine J Barons, University of Warwick / Statistics STFC-side Co-Is: Geraint (Taff) Morgan, The Open university / School of Physical Sciences; Jens Jensen, UKRI-STFC / Scientific Computing; Tom Kirkham, STFC Hartree / Hartree |
Food Fraud Indicators: Winning the War against Food Fraud with STFC Data
Click + for project summary
PI - Dr Edward Smart (University of Portsmouth) Food fraud costs the UK food economy £11 billion a year but this is only the tip of the iceberg as fraud is massively underreported. By preventing fraud in the food supply chain, it is possible to reduce these estimated costs. In fact, by tackling fraud, this could boost the UK food industry profits by £4.5 billion. However, building a safe and resilient global food system requires the ability to identify the metrics or indicators of fraud. This project brings together STFC data science experts, a commercial partner (Fera Science) and academics to explore the applications of data analytics in food fraud and its indicators. The ability to link such indicators to fraudulent activities, in particular during shock events, will benefit border controls and inspections – by reducing delays at the UK border, helping to strategise resources and minimising the flow of unsafe and fraudulent food products nationally. Food-side CoIs: Jan Mei Soon (UCLan) Femke van den Berg (Fera Science Limited) Lisa Jack (University of Portsmouth) Manoj Dora (Brunel University) STFC-side CoIs: Hugh Dickinson (OU) Brian Matthews (STFC) |
Food Shock 2020: Intelligent data analytics to understand food consumer practice during a food system shock – the case of COVID-19
Click + for project summary
PI - Dr Laura Wilkinson (Swansea University) Our food system has experienced a ‘shock’ as a result of COVID-19. This has exposed a number of vulnerabilities and the crucial role of consumer behaviour in system-resilience (Benton, 2020). In order to protect the food system in the event of a future ‘shock’, it is vital that we learn from COVID-19 and increase our understanding of consumer practice under circumstances of uncertainty. We will capitalize on the abundance of online discussions of all aspects of consumer practice around food (e.g., Singh, Shukla & Mishra, 2018). We will evaluate the value of using intelligent data analytics across 5 platforms (e.g., Twitter, deliveroo reviews). Included in our approach is a feasibility assessment of using citizen science to categorise data (comments/ photos) and apply deep learning to automate this process. In so doing, a preliminary model of the common drivers of consumer behaviour under uncertainty in the food system will be developed. Food-side CoIs: Akshit Singh, University of Liverpool, UK; Luca Panzone, Newcastle University, UK; Monique Raats, University of Surrey, UK STFC-side CoIs: Jens Jensen, STFC, UK Hugh Dickinson, Open University, UK Eric Atwell, Leeds University, UK |
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Novel process for extracting nutrient in food waste for sustainable and resilient urban farming and food packaging
Dr Ifeyinwa Rita Kanu IntelliDigest Ltd Click + for project summary
Vegetables, fruit, eggs and meat produced using organic and sustainable techniques are healthier, due to the lack of pesticides and other chemicals. It is also safer for farmers with far less impact on environment. Globally, a third of food grown for human consumption is wasted. Leveraging advances in molecular biology-enzyme evolution, we are developing an enzymatic hydrolysis process to convert macerated inedible food waste into nutrients/sustainable chemicals that could be used for advanced farming as well as producing circular food packaging. However, food waste volume and composition are highly variable across households, hospitality and food service sector organisations, while also varying regionally and seasonally. Our technical and commercial challenge is to convert these highly variable input into circular chemicals with consistent quality and yield, meeting the needs of circular farmers and packaging manufacturers. PI – Dr Ifeyinwa Rita Kanu Food Side Co-Investigators - Dr Devendra Saroj, Dr Elisa Lopez-Capel, Dr Harry Langford, Dr Lydia MJ Smith, Jen Thomas, Dr Ruben Sakrabani STFC Side Co-Investigators - Jens Jensen, Dave Clarke, Sarah Rogers, Claire Pizzey |
Predicting corn yield with UAV-based remote sensing
Vivatvong Vichit-Vadakan SkyVIV Click + for project summary
In 2018/2019, over 1 trillion metric tons of corn were produced globally, making it the most abundant grain in the agriculture industry. This project will afford us the ability to accurately predict corn yield from UAV-based remote sensing. Over a 6-month period, we will conduct a detailed UAV-based remote sensing campaign of sweetcorn fields in northern Thailand, with high temporal resolution. Utilizing off-the-shelf cameras, we will create a large multi-dimensional data set (foliage volume, canopy height, foliage color, chlorophyll content, etc.), to which we will apply machine learning analysis techniques to determine an expression which accurately predicts corn yield. This expression will be ‘ground-truthed’ against the actual corn produced by the observed fields (measured at harvest time). To increase the impact of this body of research, we will put all data produced by these surveys in an online archive to create a legacy dataset open to the global research community. STFC Co-I - Dr. Anthony M. Brown, Durham University, |
Feasibility studies on using neutron and Raman spectroscopy to evaluate physical and chemical characteristics of novel green fertilisers
Dr Ruben Sakrabani Cranfield University Click + for project summary
Carbon capture technology deployed by trapping carbon dioxide into organic waste material and converting it into a fertiliser provides an excellent opportunity to tackle climate change and soil fertility. In this project, pelletised fertilisers will be produced using such technology. Fertilisers produced using organic waste material will vary widely due to feedstock characteristics. Hence, it is important to know how variable these fertilisers are, as an equivalent chemical fertiliser is more consistent due to its stoichiometry. In this project we will use neutron computed tomography to assess the physical characterisation such as porosity and Raman spectroscopy to determine the arrangements of chemical bonds present within a pelletised fertiliser. The outcome of this feasibility study will inform variability in physical and chemical characteristics of pelletised fertiliser. Ultimately the information gathered will be used to develop an algorithm to inform industry on how to minimise variations between batches. STFC-side CoIs: Dr Genoveva Burca Dr Sara Mosca Dr Hugh Dickinson Dr Jens Jensen |
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Building Smart urban Farming data systems: A Case study
Lilik Sutiarso Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia Click + for project summary
This project aims to assess the feasibility of a digital platform to manage urban farming at a city level and optimize the benefits of such activity. The platform will be developed in DAFNI, a STFC Data & Analytics Facility that already hosts a similar system from several British cities but hasn’t been used to host information on urban farming and other green spaces in cities. The platform will have environmental, geographical, governance, marketing, production, and socio-economic data. Once this information system is operational, agents can use it to identify vulnerabilities and opportunities to build resilience and food security of cities. Furthermore, its modular structure will enable future integration of other streams of information, namely data from remote sensors collecting environmental information (such as impact of farms on pollution and carbon capture) enabling all agents involved in the urban farming ecosystem to make better policies and strategies and monitor their impact. |
Food Access: Distributed ledger technology (DLT) integration for optimising food supply chain communications and transport
Abiye Tob-Ogu Sheffield University Management School Click + for project summary
Food access relates to the ability to acquire sufficient nutrients for consumption. Where people cannot do this, they suffer from malnutrition, disease and death. SubSaharan Africa is noted as heavily challenged in this area with Nigeria in particular showing almost 32% of children suffering in this case. The literature links accessibility challenges to the speed of transport, with midstream delays accounting for a significant part of the problem. Whilst hydra-headed, transportation problems stem from communication between the farmers, transporters and buyers. This is due to the absence of coordinated communication structures that allow transparency and planning with respect to food transport communications. This project seeks to explore options for addressing this food transport communications challenge by creating a digital distributed ledger (DLT) archetype to promote accessibility; allowing farmers upload transport requirements and transporters to collate and allocate resources for distribution in advance. This simple implementation can significantly reduce wastage due to transport delays, thereby improving the opportunity for food access downstream. Additionally, the predictability of transport demand can help to reduce pricing volatility and increase affordability value for consumers. Food-side CoIs: Dr. Seyed M. Ebrahimi (University of Sheffield; Dr. James Hanotu (Formava Limited) STFC-side CoIs : Dr. Tom Kirkham |
Food loss reduction under uncertain agricultural policy frameworks
Dr Martine Barons University of Warwick Click + for project summary
Human populations are growing and on our finite planet, pressure on agricultural land is greater than ever and agricultural inputs protect crops and reduce waste. Under the EU Green Deal, targets have been set for growers to reduce pesticide use by 50% by 2030. There is no roadmap of how this might be achieved. Support for decision making under uncertainty is required; help to make evidence-informed decisions, transparent and explainable so growers have confidence in it. Probabilistic graphical models (PGMs) are a natural choice because they can be represented pictorially. Lettuce provides a good case study because it has a short growing season so many crops are grown and harvested in the same calendar year, so under similar conditions. Lettuce has no secondary market; it is too watery for bio digesters and cannot be frozen, for example. Working with lettuce growers we will design a PGM to help reduce waste. |
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A feasibility study of using blockchain technology to detect counterfeit seeds on market
Henry Hunga University of Malawi Click + for project summary
The increasing scale, complexity of food supply networks and current disruptions due to Covid-19 and climate variability can lead to staples such as seeds becoming more vulnerable to fraud. Counterfeit seeds have affected smallholder farmers in Eastern and Southern Africa, including Malawi and weakens the regional food security and exacerbates poverty. This project will bring together local agri-food authorities and seed traders to identify the challenges of certifying seeds and potential areas where counterfeiting take place. This project draws on STFC CFL capabilities especially the use of blockchain technology and DNA sequencing to track and validate genuine seeds on the market in Malawi. The ability to identify counterfeit seeds will improve the safety, sustainability and resilience of our food supply chain. Food-side CoIs: Dr. Jayne Crozier, Trade & Commodities Coordinator UK, CABI, UK, Dr Manoj Dora, Brunel Business School, UK, Dr. Sachin Kumar, University of Plymouth, UK, Dr Jan Mei Soon STFC-side CoIs: Dr. Tom Kirkham (STFC – DL, BID), Dr. Jens Jensen (STFC – RAL, SC) |
Assessing the Feasibility of IoT Precision Data Solution for Vertical Farming
Prof Chungui Lu Nottingham Trent University Click + for project summary
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted what has been increasingly evident for years - the UK must develop more resilient and robust food production methods that meet food sustainability and productivity. Vertical Farming (VF) has been branded as the future of Food Production due to the environmental benefits and food security benefits. The aim is therefore to assess the feasibility of an all-encompassing automated monitoring and control system that creates precise and timely propriety Big Data, generated against multiple inputs/ ingredients from the VF growing environment. We will utilise existing microgreen data from sensors and plant performance based computing to develop an IoT Precision Data Solution for the Vertical Farming environment. The data will then be utilised by data scientist/VF specialists from STFC Hartree Center to develop an algorithm to calculate optimum growing recipes for nutritionally dense crops and improve resource efficiency with reducing costs for development of an optimum growing system. Food-side CoIs: Wantao Yu, University of Roehampton (UR); Steven Grundy, Nottingham Trent University (NTU) STFC-side CoIs: Dr Tom Kirkham, STFC Hartree Centre |
Developing Price Risk-Protected Warehouse Receipt System in Promoting Resilient Food Supply Chains in Africa
Dr Apurba Shee University of Greenwich Click + for project summary
African agricultural markets are thin and isolated and usually characterized by high variation in commodity prices- a condition that sparks political unrest and triggers disabling policy interventions in output markets (Fafchamps 1992; Minten and Kyle 1999; Burke et al. 2019; Global Panel 2020). Warehouse Receipt Systems (WRS) has been promoted is several countries such as Tanzania and Uganda. However, their development has been stymied by high levels of price volatility which weaken incentives for intra-seasonal stockholding. Price volatility which has become more prominent due to the COVID pandemic has made the food supply chain unstable. To mitigate the downside price risk, we propose to develop an innovative financial instrument which embeds price-indemnified insurance with warehouse receipts. The product ensures that, for commodities stored under WRS, if market prices fall below a historical average for a specific month, the embedded insurance will be triggered, thereby protecting farmers against downside price risk. Food-side CoIs: Dr Manoj Dora, Brunel University London; Dr Gideon Onumah, University of Greenwich, Calum G. Turvey, Cornell University STFC-side CoIs: Dr Tom Kirkham, STFC Hartree Centre |