Summary
This commentary by a consortium of agricultural researchers argues that research meetings and conferences—particularly in food systems and sustainability science—carry substantial environmental costs that undermine the credibility of sustainability research itself. The authors propose that the field should adopt hybrid, low-carbon, and digitally-enabled meeting formats to reduce travel emissions and resource use whilst maintaining scientific collaboration and knowledge exchange.
UK applicability
The recommendations are directly applicable to UK-based agricultural research institutions, funding bodies (such as BBSRC and UKRI), and university conference governance. Adoption of low-carbon meeting practices aligns with UK net-zero commitments and institutional sustainability targets.
Key measures
Carbon footprint, resource consumption, and travel-related emissions associated with research meetings and conferences
Outcomes reported
The paper examines the environmental footprint of research meetings and conferences in the agricultural and food systems sector, and proposes recommendations for reducing their sustainability impact. It reflects on the carbon and resource costs of in-person academic gatherings.
Topic tags
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