معرفی
Raquel Ajates Gonzalez is a Research Fellow at the University of Dundee's Design and Making group, specializing in agricultural cooperatives, citizen science, and sustainable food systems. Her work bridges academic research with public engagement through major initiatives like the H2020-funded GROW Observatory, which mobilizes citizen scientists for environmental monitoring across Europe.
Her research centers on cooperative models in globalized agriculture, examining how farmer collectives balance competitiveness with sustainability. Key interests include agroecology policy translation, cooperative repoliticization, and open cooperative frameworks that integrate digital platforms with traditional farming knowledge. She investigates tensions between global market pressures and local food sovereignty through empirical studies in France, the UK, and European cooperative networks.
Analysis of her publication trends reveals consistent focus on cooperative sustainability (2017-2020), with recent work emphasizing citizen science's role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Her high-impact articles in Journal of Rural Studies and Organization demonstrate methodological innovation in studying cooperative governance and policy implementation.
Her scientific recognition includes:
- Stephen Fry Award for Public Engagement (2020) for the GROW Observatory
- Land and Soil Management Award (2019) for H2020 contributions
- Best PhD Paper Award from European Society for Rural Sociology (2015)
- Enhancing Student Experience Award (2012)
Ajates leads significant research initiatives including the GROW Observatory's policy valorization and the Ecofeminism, Food and Social Justice Seminar Series (2016). Her work has generated substantial policy impact, including European Commission factsheets and media coverage by major outlets highlighting 'citizen science on an unprecedented scale.'
She actively collaborates through the GROW Observatory network, which connects academic researchers, citizen scientists, and policymakers across 15 European countries. This initiative has produced open data platforms for soil monitoring and climate services co-designed with home gardeners and small-scale farmers.
