The research on food systems and agriculture spans food and nutrition security, ecological and water security, informal urban food economy, urban and peri-urban agriculture, agrarian change, and the role of small farmers and organic agriculture in enabling sustainability, and economic viability.

The research focuses on informal and formal urban food economies, and inclusive development, including regulation and building infrastructure for food and nutrition security at the margins. It looks at promoting sustainable food practices, urban and organic agriculture, particularly via nature-based solutions, as well as biodiversity-friendly urban food gardens. It also focuses on experiments with co-production pathways across the science–policy–practice–citizen interface.

The research has contributed to domestic and international knowledge production, state- and city-level implementation, and multi-stakeholder engagement. It has also shaped courses, teaching, and training practices.