David Barling

Professor David Barling is a leading academic in food policy and security at the University of Hertfordshire, where he co-directs the Centre for Agriculture, Food and Environmental Management Research and leads the Food Systems and Policy research group. His roles include being the University Food Research Theme Champion and an invited Fellow of the Clean Growth Leadership Network. His work focuses on food governance, sustainability, and policy integration across national and global scales.

Research interests encompass food policy coherence, agri-food security, and the political economy of food systems. He has led over £3 million in grants, including projects like the UKRI-funded BeanMeals initiative (2022–2024) and EU Horizon 2020’s Valumics (2017–2021). His advisory roles span government bodies (e.g., UK Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, DEFRA) and NGOs (e.g., Sustain, Sustainable Food Cities).

Key publications include co-authoring Food Policy: integrating health, environment and society (Oxford UP, 2009) and editing Advances in Food Security and Sustainability. His recent work emphasizes food system resilience, transparency, and equitable policy design in the face of climate change and pandemics.

Grants and projects highlight collaborations with institutions like the Royal Veterinary College and the Open University of Catalonia. His research bridges academia, policy, and civil society to address systemic challenges in global food systems.