Rebecca Rutt

What do you research?

My research examines animal agriculture in the context of infectious disease. With a focus on Danish poultry and avian influenza, I’m interested in how the lives of birds, farmers, and veterinarians are being reshaped by how we make sense of and try to manage disease threats. My research topics have evolved. Previously I studied urban sustainability agendas, especially greening and agriculture in Copenhagen, asking who wins and loses under these agendas. I also explored how EU forest/climate policy affected rural livelihoods outside the EU. Yet throughout, my work has engaged with green transition concerns, by staying close to questions of social and ecological justice and sustainability.

Why is it so important?

Social sustainability and justice are essential pieces to the puzzle of how we move towards a greener and more sustainable future. By critically exploring how humans understand their relationships with other species, my work also helps push transition research beyond the dominant framework of anthropocentrism. Concretely, I shed light on the often unintended and unacknowledged aspects of nature and agricultural policies and practices. Put simply, my research matters because coming to terms with and embracing our tremendous interdependence with each other and other species is an important gateway to imagine and build better futures.

A project you are proud of?

I have learned so much through my current project, PANDEMEAT (Pandemic Entanglements: Political Ecology of Industrial Meat Production in the “Pandemic Era”) – some of which has been frankly terrifying. I am proud because it has allowed me to interrogate aspects that I think are rarely addressed in agricultural research, such as the emotional tolls of this ‘era’ on humans and the aggravated suffering of animals in food production. Emotions deserve much more attention in research on and strategies toward the ‘green transition’. I am also proud to have disseminated my research beyond social science arenas, such as in veterinary classrooms, thanks to great interdisciplinary-inspired colleagues.

Opdateret december 2024

Gennem sin deltagelse i Policy Fellowship 2024-2025 arbejder Rebecca med Marie Voldby, Partner, Deloitte.