Dr Rounaq Nayak

I am an environmental sociologist whose work focuses on understanding and improving how we govern food and environmental systems. My research applies systems thinking and participatory approaches to make policy more inclusive, adaptive, and socially just. I’m particularly interested in how lived experience can be integrated into policymaking, and how governance systems can be designed to deliver equitable and sustainable transitions across agri-food systems.

At UWE Bristol, I am a Senior Lecturer in Farming Systems and lead the MSc Sustainable Food Systems programme. I teach across postgraduate modules including Food Security and Food Policy and Co-Production and Place-Based Methods, where I encourage students to think critically about how evidence, governance, and values shape food system outcomes.

My research brings together systems mapping, governance diagnostics, and participatory design to explore questions of accountability, inclusion, and power in agri-food policy. Current projects examine just transitions in agroecology and carbon markets, inclusive governance in landscape recovery, and equity frameworks for food system innovation.

Beyond UWE, I serve as a member of the UK Food Standards Agency’s Advisory Committee for Social Science, where I contribute to work on consumer trust and regulatory change. Between 2023 and 2025, I held an ESRC Policy Fellowship at the Wales Centre for Public Policy, supporting the What Works Network to embed lived experience expertise in knowledge mobilisation. I also act as the Just Transitions and Citizen Engagement Champion for the UKRI Agri-Food for Net Zero Network+ (AFN+) and serve as a Trustee at Food Matters.

My work aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). I’m particularly keen to collaborate with charities, NGOs, and rural enterprises that are working towards more just, inclusive, and resilient food and land systems.