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Madhura Rao

Madhura Rao

BIO

Madhura is a researcher and science communicator deeply passionate about making our food system safer, more sustainable, and sufficient for everyone. Her research explores how the transition to a sustainable food system can be achieved while empowering citizens and ensuring the inclusion of marginalized stakeholders. In addition to her academic career, Madhura freelances as a science communicator and enjoys participating in outreach activities that allow her to discuss how our food is produced, its social and environmental impact, and what food systems of the future might look like.

EXPERIENCE

Madhura is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Athena Institute of the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. She obtained her PhD in food law and policy from Maastricht University, where she researched the legal and societal aspects of food waste valorisation. Her work has been published in various scientific journals as well as popular media outlets.

Articles by Madhura Rao

How Do Food Businesses Manage Food Waste?

Not all options are equally sustainable

Crops That Feed The World | Maize

Why maize is the world’s most produced cereal

Cheap Seafood | The Social Cost of Production

What’s really happening at sea?

Can Pigs Help Reduce Food Waste?

They already do in Japan!

Chewing Gum | What is gum made of?

What ingredients are in your chewing gum?

10 Organisations Fighting for Food Security

Fighting for food security and fairer practices in the food system

Crops That Feed The World | Wheat

Can wheat continue to feed the world?

5 Tips to Reduce Household Food Waste

Home kitchen tricks to minimize household food waste

3 Different Types of Sugar

Who knew there were so many different forms of sugar?

Food Deserts | Why Do They Exist?

Why healthy food isn’t accessible for all of us

First Expired, First Out | Fight Food Waste Like a Pro

How to use the FIFO method to cut back on food waste at home

Saffron | How it’s Grown

What makes saffron the most expensive spice in the world?

Crops That Feed The World | Rice

How rice became a global commodity

Palm Oil | How It’s Made

Origins of the widely-used oil

Microplastic in Our Food

Should we really be worried about microplastics?

EU Green Deal: 5 Ways Policy Might Impact Our Food System

Can the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy sustainably change the way we eat?

What Is Organic Food | Is it really chemical-free?

Is it really possible to grow chemical-free food?

How is Sugar Made?

Find out where this sweet substance comes from!

Mercury in Seafood | Should We Really Be Concerned?

The silent risks of mercury in seafood

What is Ghee?

How is this dairy fat made?

Plantain Bananas | Different Ways To Cook Plantains

How do different cultures cook plantains?

COVID-19 | Impacts On Food Waste

How the crisis might lead to more food waste

Instant Noodles | How Are They Made?

Why was this goodness invented?

Allergens in food

What are they and how can they be managed?

Phosphorus | How It Impacts Food Security

What happens when the soil runs dry?

How is Instant Coffee Powder Made?

Just how do you make 'instant coffee'?

Mushroom Farming & Processing | Ask The Expert

Mushrooms can be enriched with Vitamin D?

Are Edible Snails a source of sustainable meat?

Firm, chewy and with a small carbon footprint

Ancient Farming Systems | Ask the Expert

What can we learn from ancient civilisations?

Human Rights in the Food System | Ask the Expert

What’s being done about human rights issues today?

How Climate Change Affects Truffle Growth

What does the future of truffle look like?

Problems With Palm Oil | Cost of Production

A versatile vegetable oil turned environmental nuisance.

Aquaculture Feed: Is There Enough to go Around?

How will we feed farm-raised fish?

Pollination | How It Works

How do pollinators play a role in your food?

Black Tea: The Social Cost of Assam Tea

What it takes to change the system

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