Jessica Duncan is a scholar and educator committed to social-ecological justice. She works as Associate Professor in the Politics of Food Systems Transformations at the Rural Sociology Group, Wageningen University (The Netherlands).
Jessica holds a PhD in Food Policy from City University London (2014). Her research pioneers new ways of understanding and imagining food governance processes to support just and sustainable transformations. She effectively translates this knowledge into impactful teaching. Her teaching has been recognized but a number of awards, including Teacher of the Year at Wageningen University (2017).
Jessica sits on the Editorial Board for the journal Sociologia Ruralis and is a founding member and ambassador for the Centre for Unusual Collaborations. She is currently chairing the Scientific Committee for the European Society for Rural Sociology (ESRS) and recently served as an expert on the EU Standing Committee for Agricultural Research’s 5th Foresight Report on resilience and transformation.
Building on intersectional feminism, anti-racist and decolonial approaches, participation and engagement are at the core of Jessica’s work and engagement.

At THE NEW INSTITUTE, Jessica is involved in the The Future of Food: Power and Biodiversity program. She will join us in the winter term of 2025.