Programs
The Food System Research Fund supports and disseminates rigorous research that addresses the most pressing gaps in the knowledge needed to improve sustainability of the global food systems.
The Fund focuses on generating actionable insights that improve understanding of food system dynamics and support evidence-based decision-making to accelerate change.
Since its first round of funding in 2020, the Fund has supported a diverse portfolio of academic research projects that span food system economics, alternative protein markets, consumer behavior, policy analysis, and other areas aligned with its mission. These projects have generated new insights into topics such as plant-based product demand, economic drivers of consumption, and strategies for affecting consumers’ and producers’ behavior.
All research supported by the Fund is intended to be publicly accessible, with grantees required to publish findings and share underlying data and methods so that results can be used widely by researchers, advocates, and policymakers.
The Fund has supported 48 academic social science research projects across the areas of food system economics, PLMIC specific research, research into effective advocacy and other areas.
Topics have included →
Displacement
Quantifying whether plant-based purchases actually displace animal product consumption using consumer panel data and novel methodologies.
Policy
Analyzing how government policies and subsidies shape the true cost of animal and alternative proteins across regions.
Cost of Goods
Mapping the full cost structure of animal products to identify key levers for influencing price and competitiveness.
Economics
Modeling how production costs, demand, and alternatives interact to drive shifts in animal protein consumption.
PLMICs
Identifying strategies to slow or reduce growth in animal product consumption in high-growth, low- and middle-income countries.
New Techniques
Exploring emerging and unconventional approaches to accelerate the transition toward plant-based food systems.
Advocacy Effectiveness
Evaluating the real-world impact of existing strategies to shift consumer behavior and reduce reliance on animal products.
Leadership
The program is led by Dr. Galina Hale.
Get Involved
To learn more about the Food System Research Fund, visit www.fsrfund.org.
“Academic research informs and guides effective advocacy, policy, and industry.”
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