Matthew Bowie

My research focuses on designing effective consumer behaviour change interventions to support sustainable coffee production. Coffee is produced in some of the most biodiverse regions of the world. With demand for coffee increasing, more pressure is placed on the people and landscapes directly involved in coffee production. Coffee is grown in a variety of ways along a spectrum of intensities, from diverse agroecosystems supporting considerable biodiversity at one end, to monoculture systems supporting little biodiversity at the other. When produced under the right conditions, coffee can benefit both biodiversity and people. Behaviour change interventions that promote biodiversity-friendly purchasing behaviours can shift consumer demands but require substantial market research to ensure their effectiveness. Outside of my PhD, I work with a start-up company that is helping to eliminate single-use plastic by building networks of reusable takeaway containers with cafes and communities.