Dr. Madhura Rao

Biography

Madhura Rao is an Assistant Professor specializing in Food Systems Governance and Planetary Health. Her research investigates how food systems can transform to support both human and planetary health, with a particular focus on safety, equity, and sustainability. She is especially interested in the interactions between policy, science, and society that shape food systems, and advocates for inclusive governance approaches that enable transitions towards resilient futures. Madhura's work is interdisciplinary and involves collaboration with researchers from diverse disciplines and stakeholders across the food chain. She possesses expertise in governance of food systems, food safety, circular bio-economy, sustainability, EU food law, food policy, food waste, and corporate accountability. Madhura completed her MSc in food safety, specializing in supply chain operations and food law at Wageningen University in 2018. From 2019 to 2023, she was a PhD candidate at Maastricht University’s Food Claims Centre in Venlo, where she investigated food waste valorisation opportunities in the context of EU law and policy. As of March 2023, she is a postdoctoral fellow at the Athena Institute of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, conducting research within the framework of EU-funded projects such as CLEVERFOOD and FUSILLI.

Research Interests