Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP)

It has been a very eventful and enjoyable month for SSRP, reflected in our packed July newsletter! 📰

Read about our very memorable evening in Parliament, our stimulating food research workshop, our new report for the FCDO, and much more!

Read: 49153361.hubspotpreview-na1.com/_hcms/previe...

How has setting up a health clinic in Papua New Guinea protected 150 km² of rainforest from being destroyed by logging companies? 🏥 🌲

Find out in 'SURFACES', a multimedia exhibition which is part of the Climate Action! Festival at the Lewes Depot, from July 5: www.sussex.ac.uk/research/cen...

States of transition: a political economy approach The role of the state in transitions towards a more sustainable society is receiving increasing academic and policy attention. Despite this, the focus often starts (and frequently) ends with the go...

States of transition: a political economy approach www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... My new article in New Political Economy on the multiplicity, relationality & globally & historically differentiated nature of state power & why this matters for sustainability transitions @sussexsrp.bsky.social

We were delighted to host a reception in the @houseofcommons.parliament.uk on the restoration of coastal and inland waters.

Hosted by the Lewes MP @jamesmaccleary.bsky.social, the reception showcased the strong policy potential of SSRP research.

Read more: www.sussex.ac.uk/research/cen...

𝗦𝗦𝗥𝗣 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: 𝗗𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗶 𝗘𝘇𝗶𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗮 💬

The latest of our interviews with members of our brilliant research community is with Dr Eziefula (@bsmsmedschool.bsky.social), left, who discusses her research into sustainable and equitable menstrual health.

Read: www.sussex.ac.uk/research/cen...

Our 'Food for Thought' workshop last week was a nourishing feast of food research! 😋

Hosted with the Sustainable Healthcare Group,
@bsmsmedschool.bsky.social, the event was a wide-ranging showcase of innovative research around food.

Read our review of the event: www.sussex.ac.uk/research/cen...

Exhibition poster: SURFACES: Integrating medicine, conservation, and climate action in Papua New Guinea’s threatened rainforests — a joint exhibition with photographs Dr Jessica Stockdale and story by Dr Jo Middleton. 5 – 17 July 2025, Depot, Lewes, East Sussex. The verdant tropical rainforest of New Guinea is the third largest remaining on the planet. It is home to myriad unique species, and diverse human cultures speaking 800+ languages. However, these forests are being stripped away by multinational logging companies, and their populations face significant daily health challenges. SURFACES is a free exhibition using photography, narrative, and video to tell the story of successful action in response to these crises. As part of an indigenous-led conservation alliance researchers have established medical services for forest peoples, funded by the UK Darwin Initiative and Sussex Sustainability Research Programme. This has improved community health, and enabled protection of 150 km² of biodiverse rainforest, storing 1.5 million tonnes of carbon. This showing of SURFACES is being hosted by Depot, a charity-run cinema, restaurant, and bar in Lewes (East Sussex, UK), as part of its annual Climate Action Festival. If your not from the area, why not make a day of it and see the many historic sights of Lewes, recently ranked by The Telegraph as Britain’s prettiest town. Depot is next to Lewes train station (1 hr 2 mins direct train from London Victoria, travel directions). Everyone is welcome, and please spread the word! Exhibition details: https://wildhealth.org.uk/f/lewes-exhibition-about-conservation-health-in-papua-new-guinea#2ff73be2-315e-43f1-81c9-2bfea5f3652b

Exhibition tour begins on how we (@sussexsrp.bsky.social @bsmsmedschool.bsky.social + friends) opened a clinic for forest peoples, improving community health & enabling #conservation of 150 km² of biodiverse #rainforest (storing 1.5M tonnes of carbon). Photos @drjastockdale.bsky.social, story by me.

What could a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty look like? As climate negotiations get underway in Bonn, an initiative set up to work on a pact against fossil fuels is discussing its structure and ways to promote the phase-out of coal, oil and gas

What could a fossil treaty look like? Article about our workshop in Bonn www.climatechangenews.com/2025/06/17/w... @fossilfueltreaty.bsky.social @suspol.bsky.social @sussexfss.bsky.social @sussexsrp.bsky.social

We're delighted that our new report - ‘Synergy Drivers for Accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals’ - funded by the FCDO, UK Government, will soon be published.

The report introduces ‘synergy drivers’, policies that advance two or more of the SDGs at the same time. More details very soon!

Join us at the launch of our report to find out much more about this and our other research themes!

We'd love to see you there 👋

www.tickettailor.com/events/ssrp/...

🔹 Mapping and visualising peri-urban agriculture in China and India

🔹 Tracking post-covid energy consumption changes in UK households

🔹 Investigating the resilience of small-scale farms in India

🔹 Exploring the importance of bats to ecosystem and agriculture

Projects have focused on:

🔹 Enhancing weather warning systems for safe and sustainable fishing in South India

🔹 Improving drought forecasting to protect the livelihoods of farmers in the Horn of Africa

🔹 Producing educational podcasts to support sustainable agriculture in Syria

📍Our 'Sustainable Climate and Food Systems' projects have taken place in: India, Indonesia, China, Syria, Turkey, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Zambia, South Africa, UK.

There is a close relationship between climate and food. Climate hazards threaten food security, and local impacts can have global repercussions.

Our research in this area investigates ways to strengthen resilience against such threats while striving towards universal nutritious food.

SSRP in Review: 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 🥗 ⛈️

Ahead of the launch of our report - Positive Futures: People, Nature, Planet - we're profiling our groundbreaking sustainability research across our five key themes.

🧵

Fantastic to see a full room at our 'Food for Thought' workshop, an afternoon of stimulating presentations and discussions on everything from the marketing of children's food products to agri-food robotics 🍲

We'll share a blog with all the key talking points and takeaways very soon!

Visit the @sussex.ac.uk Student Centre until June 20 to see the stunning exhibition 'Paraecologists for the Rights of Nature' 🤩

The exhibition illustrates the vital work of the organisation Ecoforensic, set up by our Professor Mika Peck in Ecuador, including striking prints from Thomas Byczkowski.

Find out more about this fascinating research by attending the workshop! We'd love to see you. Please register here: www.tickettailor.com/events/ssrp/... 👋

🔹 Peter Tabakov is a research fellow in Sustainable Healthcare (Circular Economy) at the Centre for Equitable Global Health Research in the @bsmsmedschool.bsky.social. (5/5)

🔹 Dr Lídia Cabral is a social sciences researcher at @ids.ac.uk. Her research looks at agricultural and rural development policies, as well as the politics of aid and public policy. (4/5)

🔹 Rachel Claydon is a Postgraduate Researcher at the @ids.ac.uk. She applies ethnographic methods to explore the marketisation of nutrition in the UK, focusing on barriers to positive nutrition choices for families in Brighton. (3/5)

🔹 Professor Benjamin Selwyn is Professor of International Relations and International Development in the University of Sussex School of Global Studies. His research is on global food systems, class relations, and development, including community restaurants and the decommodification of food (2/5)

🔹 Dr Kathy Martyn is a Principal Lecturer in the School of Education, Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Brighton. Her research focuses on nutrition and physiology, including collaborating with healthcare professionals to enhance education on these issues. (1/5)

We're excited to announce the second panel of our food research workshop this Thursday (June 12) - Human Flourishing! ✨

Register here: www.tickettailor.com/events/ssrp/...

This panel explores the role of food systems and nutrition in ensuring healthy futures for humanity. Speakers are... 🧵

🌊 Happy World Ocean Day! Why Monitoring Ocean Biodiversity Matters for Our Planet 🌍 #WorldOceanDay YouTube video by University of Sussex

On #WorldOceanDay, here's our researcher Alice Clark explaining why monitoring coastal biodiversity in Sussex is so important - with the help of a mini ocean replica! 🌊 🦈

Watch: www.youtube.com/shorts/ql6TV...

Read more about this vital project in our interview: www.sussex.ac.uk/research/cen...

Sussex's Prof Emily Lydgate breaks down the pros and cons of the US-UK trade deal 🤝💰 #DonaldTrump YouTube video by University of Sussex

"Trade agreements always have winners and losers..." 💬

In this YouTube Short, our researcher Professor @emilylydgate.bsky.social gives a fascinating insight into the recent UK-US #trade deal, and who it might benefit.

Watch: www.youtube.com/shorts/lnnzH...

Join us at the launch of our report on June 30 to find out more about all of our innovative and impactful sustainability research! 👋

Please register here: www.tickettailor.com/events/ssrp/...

🔹 Food security through rewilding and community agriculture
🔹 Mapping carbon sequestration for sustainable land management
🔹 Wilding agricultural land for the benefit of farmers and nature

Our 'South Coast Sustainability' research has covered:

🔹 Monitoring river pollution with citizen science
🔹 Documenting the recovery of the coastal ecosystem after a trawling byelaw
🔹 Urban growing as a means of sustainable food production
🔹 Place-based knowledge for sustainability transitions

Projects have taken place across Sussex as well as in India and Indonesia.