AMPHoRA – our new Human Health and the Environment project
Mind the Gap is part of a team of researchers working on a three-year programme on human health and the environment, called AMPHoRA. AMPHoRA has two aims: (1) to better understand how human health, air pollution, food and agriculture are linked, and (2) to find the best practical and policy options to improve health and reduce air pollution from agriculture. Agriculture can cause air pollution in the form of fine particles which are too small to see but can get deep into our lungs. This can lead to heart and lung disease, type II diabetes and premature death. Such pollution also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
The project is led by Edinburgh’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH). Our other partners include Edinburgh University, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Rothamsted Research. Mind the Gap is leading on involving the public and patients in the research, working with community groups in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England.
Our aim for this project is to produce solutions that work in real life for people, government and business. Together with farmers, communities, government agencies, food producers and others, AMPHoRA will:
- Review which strategies have worked in the past to reduce agriculture-related air pollution.
- Investigate approaches to managing land, using new technologies, and supporting healthy food choices.
- Develop policy options to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, improve nutrition and health, and reduce costs for our health services.
- Consider any extra costs and benefits for healthy eating and community welfare that might come from changes to UK agriculture.
The project started April 1st 2020 and will continue through 2022. As soon as it is available, we will link to AMPHoRA’s website here to share more details on the project’s development and key outputs. In the meantime, feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.
