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Dr Rosalind Sharpe

Senior Research Fellow

School of Health & Medical Sciences Department of Population Health and Policy

Contact details

About

Overview

My academic research focuses on policy, governance and sustainability in UK and EU food systems, looking especially at what is meant by and 'done about' the social aspects of sustainability. Research projects have included the EU 7th Framework Project Ethical Traceability and Communicating Food (which looked at how ethical concerns are communicated along supply chains); the EU 7th Framework Project SENSE (exploring harmonised sustainability standards for SMEs in food supply chains); and the Horizon 2020 Project Valumics (modelling food system dynamics and governance). I am currently Director of the Food Research Collaboration (FRC) at the Centre for Food Policy at City, University of London. The FRC brings together academics, civil society groups and entrepreneurs in order to produce and share evidence that can support the urgent transition to sustainable food economies. We look at the three biggest contemporary food challenges -- climate change, Brexit and most recently the impacts of Covid-19 -- to understand the threats and opportunities for people and businesses working for a more green, healthy and fair food system. We work with food 'hubs' to better understand the infrastructure needed to get the products of sustainable farming to consumers. And we look for policies that can help or hinder progress. (There is more information at the FRC website, foodresearch.org.uk.) I previously worked for many years as a print journalist on newspapers, magazines and books in England and Canada. I have also worked at Sustain (the alliance for better food and farming) and for the New Economics Foundation. I am a trustee of the Brighton-based policy-into-action charity Food Matters.

Qualifications

  • PhD, Centre for Food Policy, City, Uiversity of London, United Kingdom, 2010 - 2017
  • MA, Centre for Food Policy, Thames Valley University, United Kingdom, 2000 - 2003
  • MA, Somerville College, Oxford University, United Kingdom, 1975 - 1978

Employment

  • Senior Research Fellow, City, University of London, United Kingdom, March 2018 - present
  • Research Fellow, University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, June 2017 - September 2018
  • Journalist and researcher, Various, UK and Canada, 1978 - present

Expertise

Geographic Areas

  • Europe

Publications

Publications by category

Chapters (5)

  • Wells, R., Sharpe, R., Yap, C. and Parsons, K. (2025). Food policy. Elgar Encyclopedia of Food and Society (pp. 245-250). Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN 9781800887428.
  • (2019). Interpretations of social sustainability in UK food policy: The pliable pillar. In Advances in Food Security and Sustainability (pp. 219-252). Elsevier. ISBN 9780128176986.
  • In Lawrence, G., Lyons, K. and Wallington, T. (Eds.), (2013). Food Security, Nutrition and Sustainability. In Routledge.
  • Barling, D., Lang, T. and Sharpe, R. (2010). The re-emergence of UK National Food Security on the policy agenda: sustainability challenges and the politics of food supply. In Lawrence, G., Lyons, K. and Wallington, T. (Eds.), Food security, Nutrition and Sustainability: New Challenges, Future Options (pp. 61-78). London: Earthscan.
  • Sharpe, R., Barling, D. and Lang, T. (2008). Ethical Traceability in the UK Wheat-Flour-Bread Chain. The International Library of Environmental, Agricultural and Food Ethics (pp. 125-165). Springer Netherlands. ISBN 9781402085239.

Journal articles (5)

Reports (10)

  • Kelly, N., Wells, R., Sharpe, R. and Reynolds, C. (2025). Research Brief: Mismatches between UK food supply and dietary guidelines – a dietary gap assessment. London, UK: Transforming UK Food Systems TUKFS Strategic Priority Fund.
  • Zerbian, T., Yap, C., Sharpe, R. and Reynolds, C. (2023). Leveraging knowledge-policy interfaces for food systems transformation in the UK: lessons from civil society. London, UK: UKRI-Transforming UK Food Systems Strategic Priorities Fund.
  • Sharpe, R. and Parsons, K. (2020). Coordination must be key to how governments respond to Covid-19 food impacts: a view from England. Food Research Collaboration.
  • Sharpe, R., McFarlane, G., Lang, T., Lewis, T., Millstone, E. and Marsden, T. (2019). Food, No Deal and the Irish Border. Food Research Collaboration.
  • Sharpe, R. (2019). Voices from the field: Can farmers champion health? London: Food Research Collaboration.
  • Sharpe, R., Rerynolds, C. and Guzman, P. (2019). Revitalising local economies: how food hubs can help. London: Food Research Collaboration.
  • Sharpe, R., Barling, D., Gresham, J. and Mylona, K. (2019). Characterisation framework of key policy, regulatory and governance dynamics and impacts upon European food value chains: Fairer trading practices, food integrity, and sustainability collaborations. EU.
  • Sharpe, R. (2010). An inconvenient sandwich: The throwaway economics of takeaway food. London.
  • Sharpe, R., Barling, D. and Lang, T. (2008). Re-thinking Britain's Food Security: A research report for the Soil Association. London: Centre for Food Policy.
  • Sharpe, R., Barling, D. and Lang, T. (2006). Final report on the investigation into ethical traceability in the UK wheat-flour-bread supply chain..

Thesis/dissertation

Other (2)