Key World Initiative Nutrition - Food systems

The international key initiative Nutrition - Food Systems (FOODS) is being developed at the University as part of the UM2030 project, winner of the Call for Projects "Integration and Development of IdEx and ISITE" (IDéES). The initiative is the result of a bilateral collaboration between the UM and the University of Pretoria (UP), and enables the transition to multilateral collaborations by bringing together the strategic partners of both institutions. FOODS takes the form of a global collaborative platform for doctoral training, and provides a virtual infrastructure for international cooperation.

Objectives

The platform aims to :

Build a global community of future leaders in the science of sustainable development through emerging projects
Increase the impact of sustainable development science through inter- and trans-disciplinary research and the development of expertise at the science-policy-society interface.
Facilitate longer-term research opportunities and career development prospects for young researchers
Advancing open science and education practices through the development of new equitable global partnerships
Promote the creation of an international network of scientists working on the topics covered.

Program

The Nutrition - Food Systems doctoral platform aims to bring together a cohort of doctoral students at least once a year for field schools and/or training courses on topics chosen by the International Steering Committee (ISC). It aims to foster interdisciplinarity and interculturality through the diversity of the PhD students it brings together.

Each cohort is made up of 2 PhD students from each partner institution. These young researchers, from a variety of research fields and disciplines, are expected to take at least 2 Platform courses.

PhD students work in groups and exchange ideas to strengthen their ties and form an international network of future leaders in the science of sustainable development in the fields of nutrition and food systems.

The platform offers :

Opportunities for doctoral students to publish documents and create communication materials
A global exchange platform to facilitate discussion and document sharing
International visibility of research themes
The opportunity to take part in international events
A networking opportunity for young researchers

THE COHORTES

The Nutrition - Food Systems PhD Platform aims to bring together a cohort of PhD students at least once a year for field schools and/or training courses on selected topics. Ultimately, it aims to build a global community of future leaders in sustainable development science through the emergence of international collaborative projects.

COHORT 2024-2025

Portraits of the 2024-2025 cohort – PDF 858 KB Download

Ariane B. Barrette, Laval University, Quebec, Canada. Expertise: Marine biology, oceanography, ecotoxicology, local foods
Clara Colonna, University of Utrecht, Netherlands. Expertise: Agricultural and food law and policy, Post-growth theories, Lobbying
Alemu Bezie Debay, Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands. Expertise: Land use and land cover classification and change analysis (remote sensing and GIS), Research on socio-ecological systems, Serious games and participatory methods for the co-design of land use scenarios.
Marie Madeleine Adjigueleu Dieme, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal. Expertise: Food and human nutrition, Biological analysis, Field data collection and management, Use of stable isotopes in nutrition, Deficiency malnutrition
Julia Finestone, University of California Davis, USA. Expertise: Infant nutrition, Gut health, Microbiology
Bereket Tsehaye Haile, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Expertise: Project management; Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Remote sensing, Facilitation, Monitoring and evaluation
Housna HASSANI, France and Comoros. Expertise: Global health, School food environment
Saliou Diombo KEBE, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal. Expertise: Public health, Nutrition, Food assessment, Nutrition-related diseases, Physical activity, Food quality assessment, Prevention and management of acute malnutrition, Nutritional education and promotion, Community-based approaches to nutrition and health.
S'celo Ezra Madondo, University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Expertise: Social development, Food security: reducing food loss and waste (FWL) and taking advantage of FWL opportunities, Smallholder farmer and youth development, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and cooperative development.
Ankitha Manohar, University of Leeds, England. Expertise: Marine science and conservation, Mixed methods Research , Land use planning, Remote sensing, Machine learning, Marine mariculture and aquaculture, Livelihood development, Food sovereignty, Marine governance
Talitha Neesham-McTiernan, University of Arizona, USA. Expertise: Water-energy-food Nexus, Agrivoltaics, Thermal stress, Geospatial information systems, Dryland agriculture
Tchiyiwe Thandiwe Moyo, University of York, England. Expertise: Human nutrition, Nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA), Climate-smart agriculture (CSA), Farmer Field School (FFS), Extension models,  Policy engagement and multi-sectoral coordination, Food security and resilience programs, Data analysis and modeling, Participatory action, Research and community, Facilitation
Greici Joana Parisoto, University of Sao Paolo, Brazil. Expertise: Agricultural and agrifood economics, Climate analysis and agricultural systems, Food security and market systems, Sustainable rural development, Quantitative and mixed methods in agriculture, Geospatial analysis and data analysis (Python, GEE), Project and research management, Agricultural innovation and sustainability.
Bruna Paviani, University of Sao Paolo, Brazil. Expertise: Food chemistry, Food processing, Bioactive compounds, Functional ingredients, LC-MS
Fadhila Bacha, Institut Agro Montpellier, France. Expertise: Collective certification, Value chain governance, Territorial development, Local food systems, Data science, Sustainability, Agricultural economics
Thais Gabriela Veras Gama, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Expertise: Agricultural economics, Climate change, Productivity and efficiency analysis, Adaptation to climate change and migration
Ana María Quiroga Arcila, Université Laval, Québec, Canada. Expertise: Beekeeping, Stingless bees, Bumblebees, Diversity, Landscape analysis, Blueberry pollination, Conservation, Soil health, Coffee plantations, Mushroom production, Agroecology

cOHORTE 2025-2026

Portraits of the 2025-2026 cohort – PDF 1 MB
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Disha Bansal, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada. Expertise: Urban renewal and protest, Redevelopment of traditional retail markets, Access to public spaces and social justice, Decolonial research practices.
Jamie Bride, University of Montpellier, France. Expertise: Omega-3, Click chemistry, Confocal imaging, Cytometry, Inflammation, Arrhythmias
Minghao (Marco) Ning, Dalian University of Science and Technology, China. Expertise: Consumer behavior in agricultural economics, Behavioral preferences in food and agriculture, Sustainable agricultural practices
Caroline N’Gomange Maro, University of Arizona, United States. Expertise: Horticulture, Plant Breeding, Plant Microbiology, Microbiology
Virginie Drolet-Labelle, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada. Expertise: Nutrition, Public Health, Sustainability, Sugary Drinks
Julieth Uriza, Utrecht University, Netherlands. Expertise: Nutrition, Food Science, Public Policy, Epidemiology, Regulatory Affairs
Meike Siemonsma, Wageningen University, Netherlands. Expertise: Nutrition, Public Health, Epidemiology, Food Research , Advanced Data Analysis
Guilherme Portugal, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Expertise: Applied economics, Food externalities, Microeconomic modeling, Sustainable food markets, Mobility theories, Public policy
Byambabayar Ganbold (Bibby), Wageningen University, Netherlands. Expertise: Remote sensing, Soil, Physical geography, Climate change
Housna Hassani. Expertise: School meals, Environment
Agung Jauhari, Utrecht University, Netherlands. Expertise: GIS, Cartography, Spatial, Analysis
Noxolo Kabane, University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Expertise: Research policy development in urban development, Policies and programs, Planning in response to child malnutrition in the Eastern Cape province, Project management, Strategy development
Sikhumbule Kagiso Joni, University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Expertise: Food environment , Indigenous foods
Arshpreet Kaur Khattra, Michigan State University, United States. Expertise: Food microbiology and food safety, Predictive microbial modeling and risk assessment, AI and machine learning for environmental data analysis, Low-moisture foods (LMF) and dry sanitation technologies
Jing Li, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China. Expertise: Plant protection, Insect ecology, Ecological chemistry, Integrated pest management (IPM)
Fiorella Loli, University of California Davis, United States. Expertise: Food systems, Livelihoods, Andean agriculture
Kamilia Mahloul, Sorbonne University, France. Expertise : Molecular and cellular biology, nanobiotechnology, histology, bioinformatics and data analysis, scientific communication and critical thinking.
Mamphasha Expertise Phina Mdaka, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Expertise: Sustainable laying hen farming practices in South Africa, Integrating poultry farming with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Role of egg production in public health, food security, and chronic disease prevention.
Zheng Miao, University of California, Davis, United States. Aquaculture, Agriculture, Machine Learning, Computer Vision
Leon Noble, University of Leeks, England. Expertise: Aquaculture, Aquaculture, Agriculture, Machine learning, Computer vision
Vincent Ogweno, Michigan State University, United States. Expertise: Geo-AI, remote sensing, agricultural climatology, political ecology, agricultural land mapping, frost risk detection, environmental governance, demographic studies.
Laura Parro Lorente, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. Expertise: Nutrition, Food Science, Analytical Chemistry, Chromatographic Techniques, Cell Cultures, Nutritional Approach in Patients, Data and Questionnaire Management
Krishna Poudel, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada. Expertise: Soil health and quality, Carbon and nitrogen cycles, Food and nutritional quality, Organic and mineral, Fertilization, Greenhouse gas reduction, Crop drought resistance, Stress
Ms. Mpho Ratshilnindela, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Expertise: Veterinary parasitology and infectious diseases, Molecular techniques: DNA extraction, PCR, sequencing (NGS and Sanger sequencing), Sequence analysis, Epidemiological investigation and statistical data analysis, Risk factor assessment using structured questionnaires
Andrea Rizo Barroso, University of Barcelona, Spain. Expertise: Urban food environments, Food security, Gender inequalities, Right to food
Noah Schlager, School of Geography, University of Arizona, United States. Expertise: Indigenous food systems, sovereignty, agroecology and agrobiodiversity, history of conservation science, farmer support networks, indigenous seeds, conservation.
Bruno Lopes Silva, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Expertise: Applied Economics, Business, Economic Development, Policy, Food and Nutrition Security, Food Systems.
Sarah E Veale, University of York, England. Expertise: Social inequalities, Maternal and child nutrition, Sustainable food systems, Plant-based diets, Research and co-design, Food insecurity and ultra-processed foods, Climate and health, Public engagement and science, Communication
Laura Wilmot, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada. Expertise: Food law (food sovereignty, food security, and food self-sufficiency), Indigenous law (self-determination), International law (implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)

Testimonials

Hear how the platform has made a difference to Ana Maria Quiroga-Arcila, a PhD student in plant biology at ULaval, Quebec, and a participant in the first cohort activities.

The actors

The Nutrition - Food Systems initiative was co-constructed with the University of Pretoria in May 2022. On the UM side, the initiative is scientifically supported by Karen Lambert-Cordillac, University Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Montpellier. On the University of Pretoria side, the referent is Frans Swanepoel of the Future Africa Centre. The initiative takes the form of a global collaborative platform for doctoral training, bringing together doctoral students from the two institutions' strategic partners.

17 Partners

Europe

University of Montpellier (UM)
University of Barcelona (UB)
University of Leeds
University of York (UY)
Utrecht University (UU)
Wageningen University and Research (WUR)

Asia

Graduate School of China Academy of Agriculture Sciences (GSCAAS)
China Agriculture University (CAU)

North America

Michigan State University (MSU)
University Laval of Quebec
University of Arizona
University of California Davis (UC Davis)

South America

University of Sao Paulo (USP)

Africa

University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar (UCAD)
University of Nairobi (UONBI)
University of Pretoria (UP)
University of the Western Cape (UWC)

Governance

The Platform is managed by the International Steering Committee (ISC), which includes a representative from each member institution.

The IAPC is co-chaired by a representative of the South and a representative of the North. Currently, Frans Swanepoel (UP) and Margreet de Lange (Utrecht University) hold these responsibilities.

The ICC decides on and oversees the implementation of the Platform's strategic orientations and overall activities.

It meets virtually at least once a year and in person at least once every 18 months.

The Platform is managed at the UM by Nathalie Modjeska, with the help of Elsa Denis, within the Service d'appui à l'international et à l'attractivité des programmes structurants of the Direction des Programmes Structurants.