Lídia Cabral

Lídia Cabral is a social scientist at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, specializing in agricultural policy and rural development in Africa. As Rural Futures Cluster Lead, she bridges grassroots innovations with global policy frameworks, particularly focusing on Brazil’s role as a development actor and its impact on African agrifood systems.

Her research spans

• political economy of agricultural policy
• South-South cooperation
• climate-resilient rural futures
• just transitions in food systems

Recent projects include

• Roots of Change (UK agri-food net zero)
• Building Back Better from Below (pandemic-era food justice)
• Silenced Alternatives (Brazilian agri-food sustainability)

. Her work has been published in Development Policy Review, Global Policy Journal, and IDS Working Papers.

Collaborations include institutions like the African Development Bank, FAO, IFAD, and bilateral agencies (DFID, SDC, SIDA).