Impact
The Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems is a 6-year research programme covering the topics of sustainable food production, food safety, health & nutrition, food systems data modelling and trust in food systems.
We bring together approximately 100 researchers working across 16 research institutions in the Republic of Ireland (ROI), Northern Ireland (NI) and Great Britain (GB). The Co-Centre’s vision is to develop and promote innovative and transformative interventions that will encourage a move towards healthier diets from sustainable sources and to significantly enhance environmental, economic, safe and equitable food system outcomes by 2050.
Co-Centre Vision
Sustainable and fair food systems, producing safe, nutritious and affordable foods, driving a healthier population and planet.
While this vision cannot be achieved by the Co-Centre alone, we recognise ourselves as a significant contributor through our research and innovation. We seek to drive transformational change, not only through basic and applied research, but also by engaging stakeholders, educating and collaborating with the public and empowering new talent into food systems careers. Our specific contribution to the above vision is outlined in our mission. Once external stakeholders are invested in our vision, our mission should make clear to them what we do and why our work is so important.
Co-Centre Mission
To develop and promote innovative and transformative interventions that will encourage a move towards healthier diets and significantly enhance environmental, economic, safe and equitable food system outcomes by 2050. We aim to position Ireland and the UK as global leaders in research and innovation for positive and sustainable change.
We know that impact can be defined as the good researchers do in the world, with demonstrable benefits to individuals, groups, organisations and society that are causally linked to the research (Reed et al., 2021), but there is now a need to ensure we can succinctly measure and articulate the impact of any work we complete. Within the scope of our Co-Centre, we aim to have broad impacts across economic, policy, social, environmental, and wellbeing domains, but we need to ensure this is not just a nominal or hypothetical impact, but is targeted, strategic and evidence based.
Conceptual Framework
