From technical engineering to sustainable agriculture 

I’ve been at Bristol University for five years now. Prior to starting the MScR I completed a bachelors degree in engineering design, with a year in industry. I was originally supposed to join a product design consultancy working on medical devices for my placement, but then COVID hit and it was cancelled. Instead, I ended up working with LettUs Grow, a vertical farming start-up based in Bristol, and this really kick-started my interest in sustainable agriculture, even though I had hardly any prior experience in the area. Things really do happen for a reason! 

When I returned to university for my final year, I was able to tailor some of my projects to sustainable agriculture and biodiversity. These were the projects I felt most fulfilled and excited about, and I realised I wanted to continue working in this area. The MScR has such an interdisciplinary focus. Approaching my research from a social sciences angle, while coming to it with a technical engineering background, has brought a whole new perspective to the challenge. 

My research project

Brownfield sites represent a lot of underutilised land in cities, while container farms – shipping containers kitted out with hydroponics or aeroponics – can be quickly deployed to grow a lot of fresh produce in a small area. My MScR explores the barriers and opportunities in policy for placing container farms on brownfield sites and how this form of temporary food production could nurture new types of social interaction around food production and contribute to urban food system resilience. Through interviews with vertical farmers, local governing bodies and members of Bristol’s food system, alongside unique hands-on workshops on a vertical farm with Bristol residents, I have created a really rich discussion that I am excited to share. 

New skills, new perspectives 

Because of my industry year, I primarily had a very strong technical understanding of vertical farming, but through the MScR I’m approaching things with a socio-political lens. This has been a completely different way of looking at vertical farming for me, and the social sciences is a largely missing narrative in existing vertical farming literature. It’s been a steep learning curve, but I have loved the opportunity to add different qualitative methods to my skillset. 

My supervisors have been really supportive – I’ve been able to speak candidly with them about lots of things, both personal and academic. One of the most daunting things for me was having total responsibility for my own timetable, but the opportunities for training and skills development means you can still add structure to your schedule, which is great for regrounding your points of reference on your project. I have also really loved presenting my research at different events like the Festival of Nature 2023 and Cabot Institute’s Annual Showcase. 

Looking ahead 

In the next few months, I will be finishing off my MScR and starting a new role on a 12-month R&D fellowship with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). I will be working on the Environmental Land Management Schemes Team, therefore my MScR research on land-use, sustainable agriculture and policy will come in really handy. During the summer I will be taking a 2-month break from the fellowship to travel around Germany, India and New Zealand as part of a Royal Academy of Engineering Scholarship. I have a lot to be excited for, coming out of the MScR!