News
SSRP in Review: Sustainable Climate and Food Systems
By: Edwin Gilson
Last updated: Friday, 6 June 2025
Overview
There is a close relationship between climate and food. Climate hazards such as drought and extreme weather threaten food security, and local impacts can have global repercussions in terms of trade and supply chains. Our research in this area investigates ways to strengthen resilience against such threats across continents while striving towards universal accessibility to nutritious food.
Our ‘Sustainable Climate and Food Systems’ projects primarily focus on the Sustainable Development Goals for: Improved Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2), Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13), and Life on Land (SDG 15).
International impact
Projects in this theme are based in the following countries: India, Indonesia, China, Syria, Turkey, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Zambia, South Africa, UK.
In the media
- featured Professor Martin Todd and Dr Mohammad Shamsudduha’s research on how severe floods brought about by climate change in sub-Saharan Africa replenish groundwater supplies, thereby strengthening resilience to drought in the region.
- Dr Pedram Rowhani appeared on Kenya’s , explaining how early warning systems can forecast extreme weather conditions, protecting the livelihoods of pastoral communities in the Greater Horn of Africa.
- SSRP research on sustainable agriculture in Syria was covered by the , with input from lead researcher on the project Dr Mirela Barbu.
Related resources
- This follows the trajectory of fish, from the plate of consumers to actual fishing in the Indian Ocean. It was written and filmed in collaboration with fishing communities in South Kerala, India, with whom SSRP researchers have been working for years.
- In this blog, Dr Max Martin explains how localised forecast and communication systems can help fishers navigate the stormy waters of the North Indian Ocean in a changing climate.
- This with research assistant Olivia Taylor sheds light on the SSRP project ‘Climate resistance agriculture systems in Sub-Saharan Africa’.
- In this blog interview, Dr Mirela Barbu explains the origins and scope of her SSRP research with Professor Martin Spinelli, producing informative podcasts to support sustainable agriculture in Syrian post-conflict zones.
The full list of projects in the ‘Sustainable Climate and Food Systems’ theme can be found here.
To find out more about SSRP research across our five themes, come to the launch event of the SSRP report, ‘Positive Futures: People, Nature and the Planet’. The report, which will be available to ready very soon, is a comprehensive document of SSRP research over the last seven years.