We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Bhavani Shankar as the new co-Director of the Institute for Sustainable Food, replacing Professor Peter Jackson who is due to retire in January 2026. He will join Professor Louise Dye as co-Director, maintaining the Institute’s tradition of co-leadership from across different disciplines.
Bhavani Shankar is Professor of Food Systems, Nutrition and Sustainability in the School of Geography and Planning. Prior to his arrival in Sheffield in April 2020, he held posts at SOAS (University of London), the University of Reading, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Bhavani’s recent work has been funded by the Wellcome Trust, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Leverhulme Trust, UKRI, GCRF, UKAid and the European Commission, among other sources.
His research focuses on the intersection of food systems, health and environmental sustainability with a particular interest in improving rural communities’ access to nutrient dense foods in India, co-leading the INFUSION (Indian Food Systems for Improved Nutrition) project.
Bhavani led the High-Level Panel of Experts’ (HLPE) report on 'Reducing Inequalities for Food Security and Nutrition'. In 2024, Bhavani was named as one of ten ‘Goalkeeper Champions’ by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, recognising his role in making transformative progress on global nutrition.
Commenting on the appointment, Bhavani said, "It is an honour to have the chance to share the leadership of the Institute for Sustainable Food. Since its establishment, the Institute has become widely recognised for its pioneering research in food systems. I look forward to working with Professor Louise Dye and the rest of our talented team to build on this excellent foundation and fulfil the Institute's potential as a global research leader in transforming food systems for better human and planetary health."