Mette Weinreich Hansen

Mette Weinreich Hansen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food and Resource Economics at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Science, where she works in the Section for Consumption, Bioethics and Governance. She serves as Head of Studies for the Master's program in Integrated Food Studies and as Head of the Study Board for Food, Nutrition and Sports (SNFHI) for the period 2022-2025.

Dr. Hansen's research focuses on food systems transition and transformation from a transdisciplinary perspective, examining both public and private food systems and innovation in food value chains. Her work emphasizes moving toward more plant-based food options, particularly in private canteens, and explores how interdisciplinary approaches can address complex food system challenges. She employs qualitative methods grounded in Science and Technology Studies (STS) while paying attention to the materiality of food and its societal implications. Her research spans farmers, companies, and public meal services in schools and kindergartens, with attention to socio-material understanding of transitions.

Her recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on plant-based food systems, organic food production, and sustainable transitions. The research shows increasing focus on practical applications of food system transformation, particularly in institutional settings like canteens, with a methodological consistency in qualitative approaches. Her work bridges academic research with practical implementation in food service sectors.

Dr. Hansen actively secures research funding for significant projects including NORMPLANT (2024-2027) examining meat reduction in private canteens, Nem Økoplantemad (2023) studying organic plant-based convenience products, and previous projects like South Baltic Food Innovation and Growing Food that focused on knowledge sharing across disciplines and innovation capacity in food SMEs.

She teaches and supervises courses including Food Systems and Transition, Food Concept Design, and Sustainable Food Systems and Diets, with student research topics covering regenerative farming, food system power dynamics, value-chain transitions, and actor mapping in food systems.