The diversity and scale of the social, environmental, and economic impacts of our food systems as they operate today are as significant as they are diverse, with huge impacts on the well-being and health of people and the planet. The Transforming UK Food Systems Programme is a £47.5 million initiative that aims to address these challenges by funding interdisciplinary research that takes a systemic and holistic approach to food systems issues.
Elta is the impact assessment lead supporting UK Research and Innovation in the evaluation of the programme from 2022-2026. The evaluation is led by ICF and Technopolis, with the support of Science-Metrix and independent experts.
The evaluation will provide learning for UKRI and its partners on how to implement interdisciplinary research programmes, especially those that seek to catalyse change in complex systems. It will identify, investigate and quantify the diverse impact pathways created by the programme’s investments, helping UKRI understand and evidence the results of its funding efforts. The project involves developing a monitoring and evaluation framework and conducting a baseline study, process evaluation, and socio-economic impact evaluation for the programme.