Dr Rounaq Nayak
Find more staff
Role:
Department staff:
Collaborations:
- Youth Futures Foundation
- Centre for Ageing Better
- Bournemouth University
- Countryside and Community Rersearch Institute
- Harper Adams University
- AFN Network+
- Bristol Food Network
- Wales Centre for Public Policy
- Anglia Ruskin University
- Defra
- Welsh Government
- Herefordshire Rural Hub CIC
- Wye Catchment Partnership
- Herefordshire Council
- Nutrient Management Board
- Wye &
- Usk Foundation
- Environment Agency
- Natural Resources Wales
Research staff:
- Just transitions in agroecology, carbon markets, and agri‑environment schemes
- Transitions management and equity in food system regulation
- Inclusive governance in landscape recovery and land‑use change
- Lived experience in policy research and evaluation
- Sustainable consumption and urban growing
Teaching staff:
- Qualifications:
- PhD in Systems Thinking and Complex Systems
- Position:
- Senior Lecturer in Farming Systems
- Department:
- School of Applied Sciences
- Telephone:
- +441179656261
- Email:
- Rounaq.Nayak@uwe.ac.uk
- Social media:
-
About me
I work on the human side of agricultural, environmental, and regulatory change, specifically how transitions in farming and food systems affect farmers, food businesses, and rural communities, and how these transitions can be designed so they do not place unfair burdens on those who produce our food.
I am an environmental sociologist specialising in systems thinking, participatory governance, and transitions management in agri‑food and land‑use policy. My research focuses on how environmental and regulatory interventions actually play out on the ground, and how policy can be designed to be effective while remaining fair, workable, and socially inclusive.
A central part of my work involves collaborating with farmers, policymakers, regulators, and civil‑society organisations to understand lived experience as a form of expertise in policy design and evaluation. This includes work in the regulatory space, such as with the UK Food Standards Agency.
Methodologically, I use systems mapping, governance diagnostics, and participatory approaches to help navigate complex transitions in food, farming, and land use. Across my work, I explore how institutional systems can better embed fairness, adaptability, and accountability during periods of change.
Current roles:
1. Senior Lecturer in Farming Systems, UWE Bristol, where I lead the MSc Sustainable Food Systems
2. Member, UK Food Standards Agency Advisory Committee for Social Science, contributing to research on consumer trust and regulatory change
3. Trustee, Food Matters, supporting participatory approaches to food policy and community resilience
I am keen to collaborate with charities, NGOs, policymakers, and rural enterprises working towards fairer and more resilient food and land systems. I also welcome conversations about research partnerships and PhD supervision.
Area of expertise
1. Just transitions in agroecology, carbon markets, and agri‑environment schemes
2. Transitions management and equity in food system regulation
3. Inclusive governance in landscape recovery and land‑use change
4. Lived experience in policy research and evaluation
5. Sustainable consumption and urban growing
Publications
Publications loading...