Academics in FoM have worked for many years in informal collaboration with the Federal University of Santa Catarina’s (UFSC) Food and Nutrition research centre. The most notable collaboration being Veg+ an Institutional Links project jointly funded between the British Council Newton Fund and the Brazilian FAPESC Fund. The aim this project is to address Brazil’s Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) challenges of poor diet and sustainability through innovation in training, research and science. Research has understood the routes to market for small scale family farmers in Brazil strengthening the economic potential of the 5 million ‘family farms’ which employ three quarters of the farm labour force and are responsible for one third of agricultural income. Additionally, consumer research is helping to understand young adults’ consumption of vegetables and the most effective ways that this can be increased.
We are delighted that these institutional links have been formally recognised through a partnership agreement which will support further research development.