This is a large interdisciplinary and multi-institutional project.

It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). 

2018-2020: Economic and Social Research Council (Responsive Mode Research Grant), £584,900 (RCUK contribution), "Sustainable Consumption, the Middle Classes and Agri-food Ethics in the Global South" (ES/R005303/1).
Pump Priming Funding from N8 (Northern 8) Agri-food (£22,384) has supported the 'Pathways to Impact' for this project.

Click About our Project for further information, including Background information, and our Project Timeline.

The project is co-ordinated from Newcastle University by the Principal Investigator, Professor Alex Hughes, with Research Associate Dr Suzanne Hocknell. Research Assistant Maddy Thompson worked with Alex on the N8 element of the work. Click to Contact Alex Hughes.

The research includes three qualitative case studies - Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Guangzhou in China, and Johannesburg in South Africa, as well as quantitative analysis and a digital ethnography across the whole project.

The Brazil case study is led by Co-Investigators Professor Dorothea Kleine at Sheffield University, Professor Rita Afonso and Professor Roberto Bartholo, both at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro with Research Associate Dr Luiza Sarayed-Din, and Research Assistant Cristine Carvalho, also at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. The SEBRAE (Brazilian Micro and Small Business Survey) is a project partner for this case-study.

The China case study is led by Co-Investigators Professor Mike Crang at Durham University, and Professor Guojun Zeng from 曾国军 Sun Yat-Sen University, with Research Associate Dr Shuru Zhong and Research Assistants  Longjie Wang and Yuchen Xu, all at 曾国军 Sun Yat-Sen University.

The South Africa team is led by Co-Investigators Professor Cheryl McEwan at Durham University and Dr Shari Daya the University of Cape Town, with Research Associate Dr Kim Coetzee at the University of Cape Town.

Four UK based researchers also work as Co-Investigators on the project, using their expertise to carry out quantitative research and digital ethnography on an international scale across the three case studies. These are Professor Bob Doherty, Dr Hector Gonzales-Jiminez, Dr Fernando Fastoso, all of the University of York, and Associate Professor Stefania Vicari at Sheffield University.

For further information about our research team, please view the People section of our website.