Tanya
Zerbian
Tanya Zerbian is a researcher specialising in food systems, public policy, and multi-actor governance. She holds a PhD from the University of Central Lancashire, and her work lies at the intersection of political science, public administration, science and technology studies, and human geography. She adopts a systems approach to analyse the intersections between knowledge, policy, and the actors involved in the socio-ecological transformation of food systems. Her doctoral thesis, titled “Local food systems: A framework for food sovereignty?”, explored the complex interrelations of alternative food networks (AFNs) in Preston (UK) and Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain), and how their inter-organisational relationships foster change in urban food systems. During her postdoctoral career, she has conducted research on evidence-based policymaking and inter-organisational collaboration dynamics between public administrations and civil society, with a strong applied and socially impactful orientation. She is currently a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellow in the European project AETERAKIS (Territorialised Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems Framework for Agroecological Transitions), which focuses on developing a territorialised AKIS framework to support agroecological transitions through a mixed-methods approach focused on social network analysis.
López-García, D., Zerbian, T., Cuevas, S., Moragues-Faus, A. (2025). Blurred powers, multiple agencies, and discontinuous temporalities. A Multi-Level Perspective on bottom-up innovation in agri-food policies. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 57, 101002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2025.101002
Zerbian, T. (CA), Moragues-Faus, A., López-García, D., García-García, L., (2024). Territorialising knowledge-policy interfaces: Lessons from urban food governance spaces. Environmental Science & Policy, 161, 103883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103883.
Zerbian, T. (CA), & López-García, D. (2024). Navigating agroecological urbanism: examining linkages and interdependencies within alternative food networks. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1375128.
Zerbian, T. (CA), Yap, C., Sharpe, R., & Reynolds, C. (2023). Leveraging knowledge-policy interfaces for food systems transformation in the UK: Lessons from civil society. London: UKRI-Transforming UK Food Systems Strategic Priorities Fund. https://doi.org/10.25383/city.24771945.
Zerbian, T. (CA); Escario-Chust, A; Palau-Salvador, G.; Segura-Calero, S (2023). The multiple and contested worlds of urban food governance: the case of the city of Valencia. Cities, 141C (2023): 104516.
Zerbian, T. (CA); Adams, M.; Dooris, M. & Pool, U. (2022). The Role of Local Authorities in Shaping Local Food Systems. Sustainability, 14(19):12004. DOI:10.3390/su141912004.
Zerbian, T. (CA); Adams, M. & Wilson, N. (2022). Social resilience in local food systems: A foundation for food security during a crisis. In: Food Systems Resilience. Intech Open. ISBN: ISBN 978-1-80355-004-6.
Zerbian, T. (CA) & de Luis Romero, E. (2021) The role of cities in good governance for food security: lessons from Madrid’s urban food strategy. Territory, Politics, Governance, 1-19. DOI: 10.1080/21622671.2021.1873174.
AETERAKIS. Territorialised Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems framework for agroecological transitions [Project: 101146631 — AETERAKIS — HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01] funded by the European Research Executive Agency under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. 01/2025-06/2027. Beneficiary. https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101146631
FOODTRANSITIONS. Transitions towards Global Food Sustainability and Security: Assembling Sustainable and Just Cities [TED2021-129660A-I00] funded by Next Generation EU under the Spanish Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. 12/2022-11/2024. Postdoctoral researcher.