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Robert Biel specializes in international political economy, systems theory, and sustainable development with a particular focus on urban agriculture. He has been a member of the Development Planning Unit (DPU) staff at University College London since 2000 and has previously taught at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Birkbeck College. Biel works part-time, teaching on the Master’s course in Environment and Sustainable Development, which was founded by Adriana Allen. His book, "New Imperialism" (2000), addressed structural issues in North-South relations and was translated into Arabic and Spanish in a revised edition in 2007. His subsequent book, "Entropy Capitalism" (Leiden: Brill, 2012), proposed a novel synthesis of systems theory and political economy. As a practitioner of low-input agriculture and a community activist, Biel is particularly focused on the crises that trigger new community resilience. Collaborating with Yves Cabannes, he contributed to DPU's funded research and consultancy on urban agriculture, helping to develop an interdisciplinary Master’s module titled "Food City". This experience culminated in his 2016 publication, "Sustainable Food Systems - Role of the City" (UCL Press).