Global dairy demand is rising, amplifying agriculture's greenhouse gas emissions. Urgency surrounds emission reduction strategies. The Smart Dairy project assesses 'climate smart' innovations for resource efficiency, waste reduction, and carbon emission control in dairy production, aiming to meet this pressing need.
Department: Agri-Food Economics & Marketing
Supervised by: Dr Yiorgos Gadanakis
Dairy production is a significant contributor to total greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and, given that global demand for dairy is projected to increase, there is an urgent need to identify ways of reducing emissions from this sector. In response, DEFRA have commissioned the Smart Dairy project in the UK, to gain a clearer understanding of the current use and acceptability of different ‘climate smart’ innovations that have potential to increase resource use efficiency and reduce both waste and carbon emissions. This project is being carried out by a consortium including the Universities of Sussex, Reading and Bristol and is part of a wider ERA-NET Sustainable Food project with EU partners. A key part of this project is an online survey of the current level of adoption of these innovations by farmers, the perceived knowledge of the innovations and the constraints to adoption. The project involves two work elements. First, the conduct of a literature review on net-zero targets and policies of major industry partners, such as supermarkets and distributers. This literature review will contribute as the background information for the survey of dairy farmers to collect information on the current level of adoption of net-zero technologies. Conceptual models and statistical modelling will be used to identify attitudes, constraints to, and drivers of, future uptake of such technologies.
Data analysis using descriptive and advanced statistical methods (30%). Literature review and synthesis (30%). Drafting a report and the outline of a manuscript for publication (30%). Regular meetings and discussions for progress review (10%).
Essential: Good analytical and critical thinking skills. Basic understanding of statistical analysis and econometrics. Basic knowledge of statistical software (e.g. GRETL, STATA, SPSS) or programming language (e.g., R, Python) for data analysis Desirable: Knowledge of agricultural economics and dairy production systems.
The student will gain advanced skills in statistical and econometric analysis, experience in academic writing, and insights into sustainable agricultural practices. There's potential for co-authorship in subsequent publications
School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, Whiteknights Campus, University of Reading, Off-campus work or special travel requirements are not anticipated. Other arrangements will also be considered.
Flexible (between 9-5 Monday-Friday). Full-time over 6 weeks or part-time over 12 weeks.
Monday 10 June 2024 - Friday 13 September 2024
The deadline to apply for this project is 5pm on Friday 26th April 2024. To make an application, please go to the following link and complete the application form: https://forms.office.com/e/LDxskffW5H. Please remember the title of the project (listed at the top of the page) as you will need this to locate the project on the application form.