Welcome to the STEPS centre website

Who benefits from GM crops? Will we have enough water to last this century? What are the implications of the HIV/Aids pandemic?

In an era of unprecedented social, environmental and technological change STEPS (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) is linking environmental sustainability and technology with poverty reduction and social justice.

We are a global research and policy engagement centre, funded by the ESRC, bringing together development studies with science and technology studies.

 

New on the site

Innovation, Sustainability, Development: A New Manifesto

The STEPS Centre and its partners are launching a new project on innovation for development, 40 years after the Sussex Manifesto helped shape modern thinking on science and technology for development.
Listen to Geoff Oldham's seminar on the Sussex Manifesto and download the original documents

Time to outbreed animal science?

Just published, a new STEPS working paper by Saverio Krätli exploring the cattle-breeding system of the WoDaaBe herders in Niger, which exploits unpredictability as a resource.

Food, biofuels and avian flu

Just some of the topics being discussed on our blog, including the UN World Food Summit in Rome, biofuels in Brazil, rethinking regulation in China and avian flu in south east Asia

Briefing: Agri-food system dynamics

Agriculture & food for Sustainability is the latest addition to our series of bite-sized briefings now available to download. Also available - STEPS Approach, Dynamics and Governance.
Policy briefings: livestock revolution in southern Africa
New publications and STEPS Working Papers

Hitting the headlines

Reuters, BBC World Service, International Herald Tribune, New Era, the Guardian, New Scientist, New Agriculturist, The Lancet and AllAfrica.com are among the media outlets who have covered our work recently.
New! Ian Scoones talks to Veterinary Times on livestock revolution
New! Melissa Leach talks to The Lancet about STEPS' work
Sign up for our daily Media Briefing

Avian 'flu: politics and policy processes of a global response

Considerable investment has been ploughed into developing surveillance and response systems for avian flu, but how effective are these responses? A new STEPS-affiliated project, supported by the FAO.
More about the avian flu project
Epidemics project: pathways of disease and response
Melissa Leach writes on haemorrhagic fevers for Wellcome History

Stirling on 'precaution to robustness'

See STEPS co-director Andy Stirling's presentation 'From Precaution to Robustness: in governance of technological vulnerability', prepared for The Vulnerability of Technological Cultures workshop

Livestock revolution for southern African farmers

How can southern Africa benefit from the global ‘livestock revolution’? New research explores policy options for trade, veterinary and food safety standards, disease control and management.
Policy briefings / Briefings Politique
Pretoria workshop
Video interviews

Kofi Annan backs our work on a 'Green Revolution in Africa'

Kofi Annan chaired a new vision for agricultural development in Africa conference, hosted by STEPS affiliate the Future Agricultures Consortium and the Salzburg Global Seminar.
Newsletters, media, photos, blog and more from this event
UN World Food Summit: news and views on our blog

Reframing Resilience

The STEPS Centre's theme this year is resilience; engaging with resilience thinking and exploring practical implications for policy in agriculture, water, peri-urban dynamics, epidemics and regulation.

STEPS video channel: bringing our work to life

Watch people involved different aspects of the STEPS Centre's work explain thier views on our YouTube channel.
Our video

Rethinking regulation in China and Argentina

One of our five flagship projects is comparing the regulation of two technologies - transgenic cotton seeds and antibiotics - with the way those technologies are experienced amongst poorer communities in rural Argentina and rural China.
Find out about our projects

STEPS Seminar Series

Podcasts, presentations, photos and blogs from our seminars, including Polly Ericksen on food systems for resilience, Andrew Jamison on the quest for green knowledge, Bill Adams on biodiversity conservation and Les Levidow and Helena Paul on global biofuels.
Upcoming events
Material from previous STEPS seminars

Farmer First Revisited: twenty years on

In 1987 a meeting of 50 social and natural scientists proved a defining moment for farmer participation in agricultural research.The Future Agricultures Consortium, STEPS and IDS hosted an international workshop, Farmer First Revisited, 20 years after the first meeting.
Videos, wiki-timeline, podcasts, papers, radio programme, photos and more

More news

• STEPS news page
• Find out about our affiliate partners
• Avian 'flu: the politics and policy processes of a global response - a new STEPS affiliate project with FAO and DFID
• Building pathways to a more secure future Melissa Leach writes for the ESRC's The Edge magazine on securing a safer, sustainable and more equitable world
• Accommodating dissent Melissa Leach argues in Nature magazine and on the Nature podcast
• What's the Beef? Ian Scoones talks to Developments Magazine
• Beefing up for a Revolution IRIN, Africa, cover our work
• Focus on water, sanitation and hygiene To mark UN Sanitation and Hygiene Week, our researchers and partners have written about the challenges ahead
• Journal articles by STEPS members
  
  

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