Environmental social science research group

We are a research & development enterprise working on the boundaries of environmental and social sciences with a transdisciplinary approach.

27

Past and ongoing projects

50

Involved researchers

8

Projects won last year

Projects

Better decisions for biodiversity and people

Understand and influence decision-making affecting biodiversity.

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Nature-based solutions for more inclusive and resilient communities

We explore how nature-based solutions can contribute to the societal change needed to address the biodiversity and climate crisis.

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Ecologically sustainable nutrient management

Several innovative technologies will be deployed to reduce fertiliser use by at least 20% by 2030.

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Science Service for a better biodiversity policy

The loss of biodiversity might be the most severe and complex natural challenge we face in our lifetime.

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News

Zsófia Benedek’s recent paper on the transformative potential of Hungarian local food-buying clubs

The study describes the development trends of local food-buying clubs (BCs) in Hungary and analyses how this type of grassroots initiative can contribute to the sustainability transition. BCs are consumer-driven organizations aiming to connect local food producers with consumers.

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Typology of challenges that hinder the implementation of BDS 2030

The first deliverable of the project BioAgora about the challenges of implementing the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 has been published.
The European Union’s Biodiversity Strategy 2030 is in place for two years, and lessons learnt from the implementation of the previous strategies were considered when the current strategy was created. To meet the high expectations towards this new strategy, it is important to learn from previous failures and understand the obstacles and challenges which might limit actual implementation.>
Authors: Attila Lenti, Eszter Kelemen, Kármen Czett, Carla Klusmann, György Pataki

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We produced an animation video on RRI

We produced an animation video on responsible research and innovation. We tell you in 4 short minutes the bases of the responsible research and innovation (RRI) approach. We explain why we think it is important that researchers, research-performing organisations and even research funding organisations are connected to society. We also give a few examples from our current RRI project, where our partners have made institutional changes in the hope of responsible research.

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Food, Place & Innovation, a Sustainable Food Systems Approach – Summer School in Bornholm

Let us present a brief throwback to sunny August and the Food, Place & Innovation, a Sustainable Food Systems Approach Summer School attended by our COACH junior researcher, Dominika Huczynska.

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Come along and visit Szezon Kert, the organic garden we work with

In the RADIANT Project, we are implementing dynamic value chains for underutilised crops in Europe, realising opportunities whilst overcoming barriers.

The project partners work with 20 pilots, so-called “Aurora Farms” (different agro-ecologies across Europe) to co-create and test good practices and transformation avenues.

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Sustainable food systems not addicted to growth – paper with Bálint Balázs in Nature Sustainability

The global food system is Exhibit A in the crisis of growth-addicted development. Exploitative of humans and animals, ecologically rapacious, hooked on fossil fuels, and controlled by a small number of multi-national corporations from food to fork, this system produces massive quantities of the wrong foods at incredible social, ecological and economic cost. With food crises again looming on the near horizon, a strategy to tweak and maintain the current growth-driven food system is highly questionable. In a new perspective paper published in Nature Sustainability, a team of 32 food system scholars provide the blueprint for something very different: sustainable post-growth food systems. Our senior researcher, Bálint Balázs is one of the authors.

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