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 is a member of the UKUAT (UK Urban AgriTech collective) working group on Research & Expertise. 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

International Projects

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 co-applicant, the Royal Scientific Society, Jordan) received £20,000 from the Royal Academy of Engineering under the Frontiers of Engineering for Development scheme for a project entitled 'Enhancing food security through urban farming systems in Jordan'. Dr Cooper is the lead applicant for this project during 2020-21.

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

• 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)
• Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (C6001)
• Sustainable Energy (R6022)

Postgraduate Teaching

• Advanced Research Methods: Social Sciences (F7031)
• Land Use and Management (R7040)
• Rural Land Policy (R7049)
• Sustainable Farming Systems (C7060)
• Sustainable Energy within the Countryside (C7072)

Research Supervision

• MRes thesis: Vertical farming in the United Kingdom: consumers' and producers' perceptions of its sustainability
• MSc thesis: Building resilience within agriculture: the impacts of drought and flooding on Welsh beef and sheep systems
• 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
• Member of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers