Luiza Toma studied statistics and economic forecasting at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. Following a period of research with the Institute of Agricultural Economics of the Romanian Academy, and consultancy with the World Bank, European Commission, FAO and OECD, she went on to doctoral research on international trade and environment at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Since joining Scotland’s Rural College in 2005, she has been applying economic modelling to animal health and welfare, food waste, environmental efficiency, and technological uptake in over 30 research projects, with findings published in more than 40 refereed journal articles. She is also involved in (mostly postgraduate) teaching and supervision at SRUC and the University of Edinburgh.

Behavioural economic modelling applied to uptake of animal disease control technologies, food waste and circular economy, consumption of higher welfare and healthy food products; economic modelling of the linkages between trade, animal health and welfare, and the environment; economic modelling of environmental efficiency and efficiency of knowledge and innovation transfer; participatory approaches in systems dynamics

Active

2022-26 Zero Waste Scotland - Circular Bioeconomy Research and Analysis Service Framework Agreement (PI)

2022-27 Scottish Government - Building the circular economy: sustainable technologies, green skills, and upscaling behaviours (Environment, Agriculture and Food Strategic Research Programme) (PI)

2022-27 Scottish Government - Food and drink innovations – models of policy support and other incentive mechanisms (Environment, Agriculture and Food Strategic Research Programme) (PI)

2019-24 BBSRC CONICET - Environmental and Economic Impacts of Improved Antibiotics Stewardship in Poultry Systems (CoI)

2022-27 Scottish Government - Ensuring positive behavioural change for farmers towards best practice for clean growth: economic and behavioural investigations. (Environment, Agriculture and Food Strategic Research Programme) (CoI)

2022-27 Scottish Government - Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks (CoI)

Recently completed

2017-21 European Commission - Transition Paths to Sustainable Legume-Based Systems in Europe (TRUE) (H2020) (WP lead)

2018-22 European Commission - Low-Input Farming and Territories - Integrating Knowledge for Improving Ecosystem-Based Farming (LIFT) (H2020) (WP deputy lead)

2016-22 Scottish Government - Preventing Food Waste (Environment, Agriculture and Food Strategic Research Programme) (PI)

2019-20 Scottish Government - Understanding the Relative Cost-effectiveness of Sea-lice Treatments for Farmed Salmon Production (PI)

2020-21 Scottish Government - Behaviour change and attitudes in the Scottish agricultural sector – rapid evidence assessment (ClimateXChange Centre of Expertise on Climate Change Research and Policy) (PI)

2022/23-present: Course leader ‘Interrelations in Food Systems’ module (MSc Food Security, SRUC & University of Edinburgh)

2021/22-present: ‘Food waste and food security’ (‘Frameworks to Assess Food Security’, MSc Food Security, SRUC & University of Edinburgh)

2021/22-present: ‘Poverty and food security’ (‘Frameworks to Assess Food Security’, MSc Food Security, SRUC & University of Edinburgh)

2014/15-present: ‘Globalisation and Food Security’ (‘Frameworks to Assess Food Security’, MSc Food Security, SRUC & University of Edinburgh)

PhD principal supervisor, University of Edinburgh, School of Geosciences

PhD external examiner, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona

PhD external examiner, Newcastle University

PhD external examiner, University of Edinburgh

MSc supervisor, SRUC & University of Edinburgh