PhD Research: Soil, Food Waste, and Behaviour Change

The research is grounded in Bristol and draws on real-world composting systems, public engagement activities, and food waste practices.

 

 

What is my PhD researching?

 

My PhD investigates the impact of a multi-level behaviour change campaign focused on soil and food waste.

 

Specifically, it explores how:

 

• Composting practices

• Sensory engagement with soil

• Community-based learning

• Social marketing approaches

 

can influence public perceptions of soil, food waste, and environmental responsibility.

 

The research brings together behaviour change theory, public health, environmental psychology, and soil education.

 

 

Why soil and food waste?

 

Soil is fundamental to human and planetary health, yet it is often invisible in public discourse. Food waste, meanwhile, is frequently framed as a logistical or technical problem rather than a relational one.

 

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This research starts from the position that:

 

• How people feel about soil matters

• Direct experience shapes understanding more than information alone

• Composting can act as a powerful entry point into wider food system awareness

 

By focusing on soil and food waste together, the research examines how everyday practices connect to broader ecological systems.

 

 

Research approach and methodology

 

The PhD uses a mixed-methods, practice-based approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods.

 

Methods include:

 

• Surveys measuring attitudes and perceptions of soil and food waste

• Focus groups and interviews

• Observation of composting and engagement activities

• Evaluation of campaign materials and messaging

• Sensory and experiential research components

 

The methodology is designed to capture both measurable change and lived experience.

 

 

Sensory experience and soil

 

A key strand of the research explores how sensory engagement, such as touch, smell, sound, and visual interaction with soil and compost, influences learning and behaviour.

 

This includes interest in:

 

• How people respond emotionally to soil

• How sensory experience supports memory and meaning

• How practices like composting make soil visible and tangible

 

This work overlaps with emerging areas such as soil bioacoustics and embodied environmental learning.

 

 

Relationship to Generation Soil

 

Generation Soil CIC provides a real-world context for the research, offering access to active composting systems, workshops, and community engagement settings.

 

Importantly:

 

• The PhD is conducted with ethical oversight and academic independence

• Participation in research is always voluntary and clearly separated from services

• Findings are analysed critically, not as promotional material

 

This embedded approach keeps the research grounded in practice while maintaining academic rigour.

 

 

Why this research matters

 

Understanding how people relate to soil and food waste is essential for:

 

• Designing effective environmental interventions

• Supporting long-term behaviour change

• Improving public health outcomes

• Strengthening regenerative food systems

 

This research aims to contribute knowledge that is useful to:

 

• Researchers and academics

• Practitioners and educators

• Local authorities and policymakers

• Community organisations

 

 

Outputs and knowledge sharing

 

Research findings will be shared through:

 

• Academic publications and conferences

• Public-facing writing and talks

• Community feedback sessions

• Practice-based learning within Generation Soil

 

Where possible, insights will be translated into accessible resources that support soil education and composting practice.

 

 

Collaboration and interest

 

I am open to conversation with:

 

• Researchers working on soil, food systems, or behaviour change

• Students and early-career researchers

• Organisations interested in applied research and evaluation

• Practitioners working at the intersection of health and environment

 

If you’re interested in the research or potential collaboration, feel free to get in touch.