Beyond the field and the lab: How Aryo Feldman’s Asian heritage shapes his work on food systems, science, and justice

Published on 20 November 2025

Dr Aryo Feldman’s work is rooted in food systems, but it stretches far beyond the field or the lab. For him, food is the anchor that connects science, community, culture, and justice.

Dr Aryo Feldman grew up on the island of Jersey, where agriculture was part of the landscape and daily life. Much of the island is farmland, and with a father who worked in agricultural economics and international development, farming and food systems were always in the background. Still, it wasn’t until later that these early influences began to shape Aryo’s path.

As an undergraduate, Aryo studied philosophy. It was a time of questioning and, eventually, disillusionment. “I wanted to do something that felt more grounded, more connected to the real world,” he says. That urge for purpose led him to think more deeply about hunger, food security, and the value of food as a foundation for life. From that moment on, his trajectory changed.

Aryo moved into crop science, focusing his academic interests on plant breeding and physiology. His doctoral research took him to the Philippines, where he worked at the International Rice Research Institute, a global centre dedicated to improving rice production and food access. Rice, he notes, is not just a critical global crop but also part of his own cultural identity, as someone of Asian heritage.

Yet as his work deepened, Aryo found himself drifting away from the centre of the field. He began to question the systems behind it all. He grew more interested in alternative crops, in dietary diversity, and in how research can truly serve the needs of farmers and communities. “There was a growing disconnect between the research and its actual impact,” he says.

This shift led him to a (senior) research programme coordinator post at the international centre for crop diversification, Crops for the Future, in Malaysia, before embarking on a master’s in Rural International Development, where he finally felt at home. The course introduced him to political ecology, anthropology, and the social dimensions of food systems. He chose not to remain within academia afterwards, opting instead to work for the environmental charity, Sustain. There, he gained first-hand experience with local food systems, policy work, and community-led approaches. It was a formative period, and one that significantly expanded his understanding of how change happens.

Still, the charity sector did not feel like a permanent fit. The financial limitations and cultural differences left him feeling somewhat out of place. Eventually, academia began to feel like a more natural home once again — a place where he could combine critical thinking, research, and teaching in ways that aligned with his values.

Today, Aryo is Course Co-Director for the Global Health and Food Security MSc, delivered in partnership between Royal Holloway, University of London and Kew Gardens. The role allows him to blend his expertise across disciplines, while guiding students to think more broadly and critically about the systems they are preparing to work in:

“I take a systems view of things. I want students to consider not just the science but also the structures around it. Who decides what counts as knowledge? Who gets to shape research priorities? These are questions that matter.”

He is especially concerned with the limits of siloed academic thinking, and encourages students to cross disciplinary boundaries, to be creative and reflective in their approach. His teaching is deeply shaped by a justice-focused lens, always asking who is included, who is excluded, and how power operates.

Beyond the classroom, Dr Feldman is active in the wider food and land justice movement. For example, he sits on the steering group of the Agroecology Learning Collective, which brings together teachers, learners, and practitioners across the UK and beyond. The aim is to support knowledge-sharing, develop new courses, and promote agroecology as a credible and vital career path.

More recently, Aryo has been exploring how storytelling and creative practice can help support his work. In September, he began a master’s degree in creative writing, driven by a desire to bring art into his academic and activist life:

“I’m interested in how we engage people. How storytelling can be a powerful tool for change. Imagination is what allows us to dream of something better.”

Creativity, he says, touches every part of his life. It informs how he teaches, how he writes, and how he relates to the world:

“Art helps us to think differently. It allows us to open up new possibilities. And in this moment, I think that’s exactly what we need.”

Dr Aryo Feldman’s work is rooted in food systems, but it stretches far beyond the field or the lab. For him, food is the anchor that connects science, community, culture, and justice.

Dr Aryo Feldman, Co-Director of the Global Health and Food Security MSc, delivered in partnership between Royal Holloway, University of London and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew