Dr Jonathan Cooper

Dr Cooper acts as departmental lead for masters research projects and is a member of the Urban Farming Group. Dr Cooper holds a BSc in sustainable development from the University of St Andrews and a PhD in energy studies from the University of Central Lancashire. His research on the water-energy-food nexus in agricultural policy has been published recently by Routledge. Jonathan welcomes contact from prospective postgraduate research students interested in developing proposals related to his interests. 

Research Interests

• Agricultural/Environmental Policy
• Agricultural Geography
• Climate Change Policy
• Energy Policy
• Environmental Land Management
• Geographies of Energy
• Low Carbon Transitions
• On-Farm Energy
• Rural Development
• Rural Sociology
• Science and Technology Studies
• Sustainability Indicators
• Sustainable Development
• Urban Agriculture
• Waste Management and Resource Efficiency
• Water-Energy-Food Nexus

African Interests

Dr Cooper sits on the Advisory Board of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Tunisia and advises on agricultural matters.

Dr Cooper (along with partners, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, et al.) received £200,000 from the Royal Academy of Engineering under the Higher Education Partnerships in Sub-Saharan Africa scheme for a project entitled 'Manufacturing Hub for Closing the Skills Gap between Academia and Industry' which will focus on agricultural equipment. Dr Cooper is leading the University's involvement in this project during 2019-21.

Dr Cooper (along with partners, the South African Institute of Agricultural Engineers and the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, UK) received £159,413 from the Royal Academy of Engineering under the GCRF Africa Catalyst Phase 3 scheme for a project entitled ‘Growing Agricultural Engineering in Africa'. Dr Cooper is leading the University's involvement in this project during 2019-21.

Dr Cooper (along with partners, the South African Institute of Agricultural Engineers and the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, UK) received £70,000 from the Royal Academy of Engineering under the GCRF Africa Catalyst Phase 2 scheme for a project entitled ‘Planning for the growth of Agricultural Engineering in Africa by supporting the establishment of AfroAgEng’. Dr Cooper led the University's involvement in this project during 2018-19.   

Undergraduate Teaching

• Introduction to Geomorphology (C4005)
• Practical Geography Skills 1 (C4008)
• Contemporary Countryside and Environmental Issues (C4012)
• Wastes, Manures and Renewables (C5007)
• Social Geography and Sustainable Development (C5017)
• Practical Geography Skills 2 (C5020)
• Research Methods for Environmental Scientists (C5010)
• Sustainable Energy and the Rural Estate (C6007)
• Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (C6062)

Postgraduate Teaching

• Advanced Research Methods: Social Sciences (F7031)
• Sustainable Farming Systems (C7060)
• Sustainable Energy within the Countryside (C7072)

Resarch Supervison

• MRes thesis: The introduction on vertical farming systems in urban areas to stimulate local production
• MSc thesis: Livestock farmers' perceptions of veganism in Wales
• MSc thesis: The role of land agents in advocating renewable energy and its benefits to landowners
• MSc thesis: Organic farming in Shropshire: barriers, perceptions and motivations
• MSc thesis: Renewable energy schemes on agricultural land: case study research from North Nottinghamshire

• Possible PhD projects: https://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/research/phd-projects.cfm

Professional Memberships

• Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy