Rounaq Nayak

Dr Rounaq Nayak

  • Lecturer in Sustainability
  • CH210,
UN SDGs:
Back to top

Biography

Sustainability is a buzzword exploited by many businesses around the world. While many interventions focus on environmental and economic sustainability, social sustainability is often ignored. This often leads to negative externalities such as modern slavery, food insecurity, increased carbon footprint, and scarcity of natural resources. I am Human Factors specialist and a have worked on several projects in the food and healthcare sectors with a focus on the adoption of a people-centred approach to service improvement. My main research interest lies in understanding how the global agri-food system can be made more resilient to challenges such food (& fuel) poverty, forced labour, and rising carbon footprint. I am interested in mapping operations and optimising systems by promoting transparency, community resilience and technological innovations using a human factors lens. I have led several service improvement projects which have resulted in the generation of reports contributing towards sustainable business transformations in the agri-food sector (including charities)...

more

Research

I am currently working on projects related to improving social sustainability within communities and sustainable business transformations of NGOs and rural enterprises. My research themes centre around the following United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals using a human factors principles:

SDG 2: Zero hunger

• Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round, especially among poor people in vulnerable situations.

• Target 2.2: End malnutrition

SDG 8: Decent work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.7: Eradication of forced labour (including child labour)

• Target 8.8: Protect labour rights & promote safe working environments

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.

• Target 12.3: Reduce food waste and food loss at retail and consumer levels

• Target 12.6: Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.

• Target 12.8: Create awareness among people for sustainable lifestyles

I am always keen to learn more about applying human factors and Industry 4.0 methods across the agri-food and labour industries, so whether you have similar interests, or want to find out more, please feel free to get in touch with me. I am particularly keen to work with NGOs and rural enterprises from the Global North and South.

Areas of Research Interest:...

more

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person's work contributes towards the following SDGs:

Zero hunger

"End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture"

more information

Decent work and economic growth

"Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all"

more information

Responsible consumption and production

"Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns"

more information

Journal Articles

  • Nayak, R. and Hartwell, H., 2023. The future of charitable alternative food networks in the UK: An investigation into current challenges and opportunities for foodbanks and community markets. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.
  • Diaz De Oleo, D., McIntyre, L., Randall, N., Nayak, R. and Manning, L., 2023. Systematic mapping of food safety outbreaks in the hospitality sector in the Dominican Republic. British Food Journal, 125 (2), 500-521.
  • Nayak, R. and Jespersen, L., 2022. Development of a framework to capture the maturity of food safety regulatory and enforcement agencies: Insights from a Delphi study. Food Control, 142.
  • Woodward, M., Nayak, R. and McCulloch, P., 2022. Radiography as a sociotechnical system – Improving patient identification with a multi-level human factors approach. Safety Science, 150.
  • Díaz De Oleo, D., McIntyre, L., Randall, N., Nayak, R. and Manning, L., 2022. A socio-technical approach to food safety incident analysis using the AcciMap model in the hospitality sector. Food Control, 136.
  • Nayak, R., Manning, L. and Waterson, P., 2022. Exploration of the fipronil in egg contamination incident in the Netherlands using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method. Food Control, 133.
  • Nayak, R. and Manning, L., 2021. Forgotten children: a socio-technical systems analysis of the 2004 and 2015 forced child labour reports from Indian cottonseed farms. Trends in Organized Crime.
  • Thatcher, A., Nayak, R. and Waterson, P., 2020. Human factors and ergonomics systems-based tools for understanding and addressing global problems of the twenty-first century. Ergonomics, 63 (3), 367-387.
  • Nayak, R. and Waterson, P., 2019. Global food safety as a complex adaptive system: Key concepts and future prospects. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 91, 409-425.
  • Nayak, R. and Taylor, J.Z., 2018. Food safety culture – the food inspectors’ perspective. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 10 (3), 376-381.
  • Nayak, R. and Waterson, P., 2017. The Assessment of Food Safety Culture: An investigation of current challenges, barriers and future opportunities within the food industry. Food Control, 73, 1114-1123.
  • Nayak, R. and Waterson, P., 2016. 'When Food Kills': A socio-technical systems analysis of the UK Pennington 1996 and 2005 E. coli O157 Outbreak reports. Safety Science, 86, 36-47.

Chapters

  • Nayak, R., 2023. Food Pathways to Community Success. In: Lalli, G.S., Turner, A. and Rutland, M., eds. Food Futures in Education and Society. London: Routledge.
  • Nayak, R., 2021. The use of internet of things (IoT) technology to improve transparency in agri-food supply chains. In: Manning, L., ed. Developing Smart Agri-Food Supply Chains Using Technology to Improve Safety and Quality. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing.

Others

PhD Students

  • Dileyni Diaz de Oleo, 2023. A multi-method approach to analyse foodborne disease outbreaks in the hospitality sector: informing effective governance for the Dominican Republic, (Completed)

Profile of Teaching PG

  • Environmental Law and Social Justice
  • Green Technology and Renewable Energy
  • Sustainable Development in Practice

Profile of Teaching UG

  • Residential Field Trip

Grants

  • The Carbon Exchange: Mapping the drivers and impact of the carbon market on rural enterprises in the UK (REINVEST) (UK Research and Innovation Council, 01 Mar 2023). Awarded
  • Community feeding programs - Mapping the referral process to food banks and other community organisations (British Academy, 17 Oct 2022). In Progress
  • Mapping the drivers and impact of Modern-Day Slavery practices within the traditional Indian tea farming sector (British Academy, 01 Jul 2022). In Progress
  • Edible Food Waste Reduction: Using STFC Technology In Food Valorisation to Integrate Excess Food in Local Communities (UTILISE) (Science and Technology Facilities Council [2006-2012], 01 Feb 2022). Completed
  • United Kingdom and Brazil INterventions for Food Loss and Waste Education in Secondary Schools (BINLESS): A case study of collaboration between schools from Brazil and United Kingdom (British Council, 01 Feb 2022). Completed
  • What’s the beef?: Reducing Carbon Emissions in Beef Supply Chains by decentralising the carbon value chain (Morrisons-Harper Adams University Sustainability Challenge, 01 Nov 2021). In Progress
  • A multidimensional evaluation platform for Brazil’s national school feeding program (British Council, 01 Oct 2021). In Progress

External Responsibilities

  • Roman Way Primary School, Governor (2023-)
  • Royal Geographical Society, Reviewer (2022-)
  • British Council, Reviewer (2022-2023)
  • Norwegian Research Council, Reviewer (2021)
  • Greenacres Primary School, Parent Governor (2021-2022)

Internal Responsibilities

  • REF Output Champion, Research Excellence Framework Assessment Panel

Journal Reviewing/Refereeing

  • Foods, Anonymous peer review, 03 Mar 2023
  • British Food Journal, 19 Dec 2022
  • Zoonoses and Public Health, Anonymous peer review, 01 Sep 2022
  • Sustainability, Anonymous peer review, 01 Dec 2021
  • Food Control, Anonymous peer review, 01 Jan 2016

Qualifications

  • PhD in Human Factos and Complex Systems (Loughborough University, 2018)
  • MSc in Food Safety, Hygiene and Management (University of Birmingham, 2014)
  • BEng (Hons) in Biotechnology (Vellore Institute of Technology, 2013)

Honours

  • Teaching Innovation Award (Bournemouth University, 2022)
  • Doctoral College Research Student Prize Highly Commended Award (Loughborough University Doctoral College, 2017)
  • Santander Mobility Award (Santander, 2017)

Memberships

  • Higher Education Academy, Fellow (2023-),
  • Royal Society for Public Health, Fellow (2022-),
  • Higher Education Academy, Associate (2021-2023),
  • Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), Fellow (2021-),
  • Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Member (2016-2022),