Dr Ferne Edwards

Personal statement:

Dr. Ferne Edwards is an interdisciplinary social scientist with a background in cultural anthropologist with extensive international research and teaching experience on just and sustainable cities, food systems, nature and social change. Her work explores the socio-cultural contexts, ethics, politics and sustainability potential of diverse social food economies in cities. She has conducted ethnographies on food waste, urban beekeeping, non-monetised alternative food economies, and food sharing in Australia, Venezuela, Spain, Norway and the UK. This research contributes knowledge to urban natures, conservation, design, and healthy and resilient cities. Awarded her PhD on 12 May 2015, she has published more than 40 academic refereed publications, including 3 edited books (‘Food for Degrowth: Perspectives and Practices’, ‘Food, Senses and the City’, and ‘Urban Natures: Living the More-than-Human City’) and 1 monograph (‘Food Resistance Movements: Journeying Across Alternative Food Networks’). Ferne has drawn from her research to conduct many guest lectures, coordinate courses and supervise Master’s and PhD students on a broad number of topics.

Ferne also has experience designing and delivering global, cross-cultural, interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral research panels, programs and networks. Positions held include: being a core member of the SHARECITY team contributing to the SHARECITY 100 database and conducting fieldwork on ICT-mediated food sharing practices in Australia and Spain (University College Dublin, 2016-18); leading the governance infrastructure, networks and institutionalisation work package for the EU H2020 IA project EdiCitNet to establish an international edible cities network (RMIT Europe, Barcelona 2018-2020), and leading two work packages in the H2020 FoodCLIC project to support sustainable food interventions in cities across the world (University of Surrey, 2022-2024). In addition, Ferne’s work has been recognised internationally as a Sustainability Fellow (University of Surrey), UrbanA Fellow for Just and Sustainable Cities (EU project, 2019-2021), World Social Science Fellow on Urban Issues in the Global South (International Social Science Council, 2013), Australian Anthropology Society Fellow (2016 ongoing), and Honorary Research Associate for the Centre for Urban Research (RMIT University, 2016-2019).

Ferne currently works as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Food Policy, City St. George’s, University of London, where she contributes to the UKRI FixOurFood programme, the MACC Joined Up Landscpes program, and works as the Education Coordinator for the Interdisciplinary Food Teaching and Learning (IFSTAL) program across the UK.

Collaboration opportunities:

Very interested in developing collaborations for UK and EU projects. Particularly interested in New European Bauhaus Projects and/or any projects on climate and health. Available for consultations, commission and media work.

Publications:

Edwards, F. (2023) Food Resistance Movements: Journeying through Alternative Food Networks. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-19-5795-6

Edwards, F., Popartan, L. A. and Pettersen, I. N. (2023) Urban Natures: Living the More-than-Human City. New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books.

Edwards, F., Gerritsen, R. and Wesser, G. (2021) Food, Senses and the City. London and New York: Routledge.

Nelson, A. and Edwards, F. (2021) Food for Degrowth: Perspectives and Practices. London and New York: Routledge.

Edwards, F., Arcuri, S., Behringer, J., Feenstra, L., Maffi, P., Oliveria, R., Pauw, I. and Sonnino, R. (2026) Situated Transformations: How Regional and Translocal Contexts Shape Urban Food Policy Networks, Environmental Research: Food Systems, 035009. https://doi.org/10.1088/2976-601X/ae728e

Buckton, S.J., Everson, R., Fazey, I., Ball, P., Bridle, S., Crossland, A., Thompson, J., Haslam, P., Hind, T. Mair, S., Reed, A.L., Whittaker, E., Beacroft, L., Beason, R., Cassarly, J., Cordero, J.P., Cousquer, S., Graver, A., Newman, R., Nixon, N., Symonds, S., Edwards, F., Eyre, L., Jackson, D., Lawrence, C., Sumpter, N., Tyfield, D. (2026). Designing, implementing and embedding transformation-focused evaluation: A framework and insights from a regional food system change initiative. PLOS Sustainability and Transformation. 5(4): e0000236. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000236

Sonnino, R., Edwards, F., López Cifuentes, M. (2026) What’s in a Name? Unravelling the Diversity of Food Policy Networks, Local Environment. 10.1080/13549839.2026.2644498

Armstrong, B., Reynolds, C. and Edwards, F. (2026) Beyond the bin: demographic characteristics and attitudes associated with dumpster diving in the UK, Global Food Security. 100913,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2026.100913.

Lopez-Cifuentes, M., Sonnino, R., Raj, G. and Edwards, F. (2026) Enacting justice in food systems transitions: A critical lens on governance, power and participation, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 59: 101087. 10.1016/j.eist.2025.101087

Gutierrez Gonzalez, M. A., Manderville, C., Edwards, F., and Rice. P. M. (2024) Innovating Interdisciplinarity in Higher Education: Exploring the Impact of a Grassroots’ Community of Practice, Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 12 (April):1–17. doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.12.11.

Edwards, F., Sonnino, R. and Lopez-Cifuentes, M. (2024) Connecting the dots: Integrating food policies towards food system transformation, Environmental Science and Policy, 156: 103735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103735

Edwards, F. & Pettersen, I. N. (2023) Speculative design for envisioning more-than-human futures in desirable counter-cities, Cities 142: 104553. 10.1016/j.cities.2023.104553

Edwards, F., Manderscheid, M. and Parham, S. (2023) Terms of engagement: mobilising citizens in edible nature-based solutions, Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability. 10.1080/17549175.2023.2218356

Tarcan, B., Pettersen, I.N. and Edwards, F. (2023) Repositioning Craft and Design in the Anthropocene: Applying a More-than-Human Approach to Textiles, Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal.

Manderscheid M., Fiala V., Edwards F., Freyer B. & Säumel I. (2022) Let’s do it online?! Virtual challenges for inclusive participation, Special issue: ‘Participatory Action Research in a Time of COVID’, Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 16 May 2022. doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.732943

Davies, A.R., Cretella, A., Edwards, F. & Marovelli, B. (2020) The social practices of hosting P2P social dining events: Insights for sustainable tourism, Journal of Sustainable Tourism. DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2020.1838526.

Edwards, F. (2020) Overcoming social stigma by consuming food waste at the Open Table, Agriculture and Human Values. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-020-10176-9.

Edwards, F. & Davies, A. (2018) Connective Consumptions: Mapping Melbourne’s Food Sharing Ecosystem, Urban Policy and Research. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2018.1476231

Davies, A., Edwards, F., Marovelli, B., Morrow, O., Rut, M., & Weymes, M. (2017) Making visible: Interrogating the performance of food sharing across 100 urban areas, Geoforum, 86, Nov, 136-149. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2017.09.007

Davies, A., Edwards, F., Marovelli, B., Morrow, O., Rut, M. & Weymes, M. (2017) Creative construction: Crafting, negotiating and performing urban food sharing landscapes, Area, April. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12340.

Edwards, F. & Dixon, J. (2016) The hum of the hive: Negotiating conflict between humans and honeybee towards an ecological city, Society & Animals, December, 24(6): 535-555. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-12341430

Edwards, F. & Mercer, D. (2013) Food waste in Australia: The freegan response, Waste Matters: New Perspective on Food and Society, The Sociological Review Monograph Series, 60(S2), December: 174–191. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.12044

Banwell, C., Dixon, J., Bambrick, H., Edwards, F., & Kjellstrom, T. (2012) Socio-cultural reflections on heat with implications for health and climate change adaptation in Australia, Global Health Action, October, 5: 19277. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/gha.v5i0.19277

Edwards, F. (2011) Small, Slow and Shared: Emerging Social Innovations in Urban Australian Foodscapes, Australian Humanities Review, November: 115¬–134. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22459/AHR.51.2011.08

Edwards, F., Dixon, J., Friel, S., Hall, G., Larsen, K., Lockie, S., Wood, B., Lawrence, M., Hanigan, I., Hogan, A. & Hattersley, L. (2011) Climate change adaptation at the intersection of food and health, Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, March, 23: 91S–104S. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539510392361

Edwards, F. (2010) Food Sovereignty and Social Change in Venezuela, Chain Reaction, 109, July: 21–23.

Edwards, F. & Mercer, D. (2010) Meals in Metropolis: Mapping the urban foodscape, Local Environment, 15(2), February: 153–168. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13549830903527662

Edwards, F. & D. Mercer (2007) Gleaning from Gluttony: an Australian youth subculture confronts the ethics of waste, Australian Geographer, 38(3), November: 279–296. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00049180701639174

Edwards, F. (2006) Dumpster dining: Freegans consume waste food to protest consumer waste, Alternatives Journal, July, 32(3): 28–29.

Edwards, F. and Nelson, A. (2025) Degrowth and food. In Holloway, L., Goodman, M., Maye, D., Kneafsey, M., Sexton, A. and Moragues Faus, A. (eds.) The Elgar Encyclopedia of Food and Society.

Edwards, F., Popartan, L. A. & Pettersen, I. N. (2023) Introduction: Mapping the More-than-Human City in Theory, Methods and Practice, in Edwards, F., Popartan, L. A. & Pettersen, I. N. (eds), Urban Natures: Living the More-than-Human City. New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books.

Edwards, F. (2023) Making Urban Nature Visible (With a Focus on Insects), in Edwards, F., Popartan, L. A. & Pettersen, I. N. (eds), Urban Natures: Living the More-than-Human City. New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books.

Edwards, F. (2023) Conclusion: Reflections and Future Directions for Researching Convivial Urban Natures, in Edwards, F., Popartan, L. A. & Pettersen, I. N. (eds), Urban Natures: Living the More-than-Human City. New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books.

Davies, A., Cretella, A., Edwards, F., & Marovelli, B. (2022) ‘The social practices of hosting P2P social dining events: Insights for sustainable tourism’, in P. Minoia and S. Jokela (eds.) Platform-mediated tourism: Social Justice and Urban Governance before and during Covid-19. London & New York: Routledge.

Edwards, F., Gerrtisen, R. & Wesser, G. (2021) ‘The food, senses and city nexus’, Chapter 1, in Edwards, F., Gerrtisen, R. & Wesser, G. (eds.) Food, Senses and the City. London and New York: Routledge.

Edwards, F. (2021) ‘Humming along: Heightening the senses between urban honeybees and humans’, Chapter 4, in Edwards, F., Gerrtisen, R. & Wesser, G. (eds.) Food, Senses and the City. London and New York: Routledge.

Edwards, F. (2021) ‘Future directions for food, the senses and the city’, Chapter 16, in Edwards, F., Gerrtisen, R. & Wesser, G. (eds.) Food, Senses and the City. London and New York: Routledge.

Nelson, A. & Edwards, F. (2021) ‘Food for degrowth’, Chapter 1, in Nelson, A. & Edwards, F. Food for Degrowth: Perspectives and Practices. London and New York: Routledge.

Edwards, F. & Espelt, R. (2021) ‘Technology for degrowth: Implementing digital platforms for community supported agriculture in Catalonia’, Chapter 9, in Nelson, A. & Edwards, F. Food for Degrowth: Perspectives and Practices. London and New York: Routledge.

Edwards, F., Pedro, S. & Rocha, S. (2021) ‘Institutionalising degrowth? Exploring multi-level food governance’, Chapter 11, in Nelson, A. & Edwards, F. Food for Degrowth: Perspectives and Practices. London and New York: Routledge. Pp.141-155.

Edwards, F. & Nelson, A. (2021) ‘Future research directions: Food for degrowth’, Chapter 16, in Nelson, A. & Edwards, F. Food for Degrowth: Perspectives and Practices. London and New York: Routledge.

Edwards, F. and Davies, A. R. (2020; reprint) Connective Consumptions: Mapping Melbourne’s Food Sharing Ecosystem, in Gurran, N., Maginn, P. J., Burton, P., Legacy, C., Curtis, C., Kent, A. and G. Binder (eds.) Disruptive Urbanism. Implications of the ‘Sharing Economy’ for Cities, Regions, and Urban Policy. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Edwards, F., Dixon, J. & Beilin, R. (2018) Adopting a public health ecology approach to a key food security issue: apiary, bio-diversity and conservation. In Marsden, T. (ed) The SAGE Handbook of Nature. May, Pp. 1075-1089. London: SAGE Publications.

Edwards, F. (2016 [2nd edition]) ‘Venezuelan Food Sovereignty Movement’ in Thompson, P. & D. Kaplan (eds.) Encyclopaedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics. New York, Heidelberg, Dortrecht, London: Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6167-4_514-1

Edwards, F. (2016 [2nd edition]) ‘Alternative Food Networks’ in Thompson, P. & D. Kaplan (eds.) Encyclopaedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics. New York, Heidelberg, Dortrecht, London: Springer. Pp. 1-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6167-4_513-1.

Edwards, F. (2016) Urban food security and alternative economic practices. In Horne, R., Fien, J., Beza, B. & Nelson, A. Sustainability Citizenship and Cities: Theory and Practice. London: Routledge. Pp.40-50.

Edwards, F. (2016) ‘Free-ing foods? Social food economies towards secure and sustainable food systems’, in Allen, A., Lampis, A. & Swilling, M. (eds.) Untamed Urbanisms: Practices and narratives on socio-environmental change for urban sustainability. London: Routledge. Pp. 284-295.

Banwell, C., Dixon, J., Bambrick, H., Edwards, F., & Kjellstrom, T. (2015) The sociocultural context of climate change adaptation in Australia with a focus on hot weather. In Butler, C., Dixon J. & Capon, A. (eds.) Health of People, Places and Planet. Reflections based on Tony McMichael’s four decades of contribution to epidemiological understanding. Canberra: ANU E-Press. Pp.379-392.

Edwards, F. & Mercer, D. (2013) ‘Food waste in Australia: The freegan response’, in Evans, D., Campbell, H. & Murcott, A. (eds.), Putting Waste on the Food Studies Agenda: Production, Politics and Everyday Life. London: Wiley-Blackwell. Pp.174–191.

Edwards, F. & Mercer, D. (2011) ‘Gleaning from Gluttony: An Australian Youth Subculture
Confront the Ethics of Waste’ (reprint), in Williams-Forson, P. & Counihan, C. (eds.) Taking Food Public: Redefining foodways in a changing world. London: Routledge. Pp. 195–210.

Edwards, F. (2010) Seed industry, in Mulvaney, D. (ed.) Green Food: An A-Z Guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. Pp. 388–392.

Edwards, F. (2010) Counter culture, in Mulvaney, D. (ed.) Green Politics: An A-Z Guide, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. Pp. 89–91.