I am in my research primarily engaged in working with transition and transformatioin of food systems from a transdisciplinary approach and from a holistic standpoint. I have been involved in research on both public and private food systems and innovation in food systems and value-chains. I am also researching private canteens and how to move the meals towards more plant-based options

I am Head of studies and also teaching and supervising several courses in the M(Sc.) in Integrated Food Studies and I am passionate about teaching students the complexity of food systems and the necessity of interdisciplinary collaboration in order to be able to take action to change the current food system challenges.

Finally I am Head of the Study Board for Food, Nutrition and Sports (SNFHI) in the period 2022-2025

My research and teaching takes departure in an interdisciplinary Food Studies perspective and my main interests are areas such as

• Innovation and co-creation – thinking across traditional silos and food chain rationales of production, processing and consumption to address the wicked problems of complex food systems
• alternative food networks and the value aspects of the organic food production and processing in an organizational perspective
• Food Systems transition. How can an interdisciplinary approach contribute to the major and needed transitions of our food systems both public and private
• Collaboration between knowledge institutions and organizations or private companies in order to strengthen knowledge bridging.

The methodological approach is within the qualitative methods.

I am inspired by many different approaches but always with attention to the materiality of food as well as the societal implications of our food production and consumption. The Science and Technology Studies (STS) approach is the main theoretical basis for working with this complexity.

Co-PI på NORMPLANT NORMPLANT project description

Courses

Food Systems and Transition

Food Concept Design

Sustainable Food Systems and Diets

Some topics within student supervisions

Regenerative and organic farming communities (networks, culture, sale etc.)

Food systems transition

Power and food systems

Value-chain transition

Actor mapping

Public and private food

Collaboration with employees from externally funded projects. The representatives from the private companies and organisations are often partners in the projects or serve in an advisory capacity to the projects. In the projects, I act as an employee of the University of Copenhagen and do not receive any remuneration from the external partners.

Not represented in any boards at the moment that can cause possible conflicts of interest

Research positions:

• 2018 -present Associate Professor at Copenhagen University, Dept. of Food and Resource Economics
• 2013-2018: Associate Professor at AAU Copenhagen, Dept. of Planning
• 2009-2013: Assistant Professor at AAU Copenhagen, Dept. of Planning

Research focus

Mette W. Hansen has extensive experience in working with food systems research in several applied projects within the value chain of food. She has been researching farmers, companies as well as public meal offers (schools, kindergartens). The focus is on transitions from a socio-material understanding taking both human practices and material conditions into account.

Research activities (most recent)

2024-2027         Co-PI NORMPLANT. Project funded by Plantefonden. Looking at meat reduction in private canteen services. https://ifro.ku.dk/english/research/projects/normplant/

2023                    PI Nem Økoplantemad. Project funded by Fonden for Økologisk Landbrug. Qualitative study of producers of processed products. IFRO report 309 ISBN: 978-87-93768-36-9

2022                    Innovation in course development of the course Food Concept Design. Support from the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship to strengthen the focus on food start-ups, sustainability and diversity

2021            Responsible for a Research Integration project involving students and researcher across sections of Dept. of Food and Resource Economics. The topic of interest: Innovation capacities in the Food service sector in a Covid19 era. Qualitative study in the restaurant business in Copenhagen

2017-2020         South Baltic Food Innovation. Partner lead on Interreg project. Focusing on Innovation capacity and knowledge bridging in Food SME’s in the South Baltic Region and incorporating knowledge and education in collaboration with food start-ups and food SME’s

2017-2020       Growing Food. Cross- university collaboration project. Involved in mentoring sessions with start-up innovation. Focus on knowledge sharing across scientific disciplines

Teaching and teacher coordinating activities (most recent)

2022-2025            Head of Study Board for Food, Human Nutrition and Sports (SNFHI)       

2018-2022            Member of Study Board for Food, Human Nutrition and Sports (SNFHI)

2019- present      Head of Studies for the Master program in Integrated Food Studies and Copenhagen University

2012 - present         Teaching and supervising at the M.Sc. in Integrated Food Studies. Head of studies, course responsible and thesis supervision