A Journey Through Europe Exploring Sustainable Food Systems - Meet Jonas House
Jonas House recently joined KTH as the first postdoctoral researcher at KTH FOOD, where he’ll be contributing to innovative research on sustainable food systems. Originally from the UK, Jonas spent nearly a decade living in the Netherlands before making the move to Sweden. His journey to KTH was shaped by a passion for food studies, culture, and sustainability.
From the UK to the Netherlands
Jonas’ academic career began with a PhD in human geography from the University of Sheffield, which he completed between 2014 and 2018. His doctoral research focused on public acceptance of insects as food in the Netherlands—an exploration of how culturally unfamiliar foods can gain acceptance. His work also touched on the rise of sushi as a popular food in the US.
After completing his PhD, Jonas started teaching at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and from 2021 to 2024, he conducted postdoctoral research on how the Dutch food systam can be made more sustainable.
New Horizons at KTH
At KTH, Jonas is eager to build on his previous work, particularly around the cultural and practical dimensions of what constitutes "food." Inspired by Emma Roe’s concept of "things becoming food," Jonas will examine how certain items transition into the category of "food" while others remain excluded. He plans to conduct research on contested foods—such as offal and underutilized fish species—to explore their potential in reshaping sustainable food systems.
His position at KTH offers the freedom to expand these ideas and contribute to the development of KTH FOOD’s growing research agenda. “I’m looking forward to both shaping my own research and helping to shape KTH FOOD,” Jonas shares.
As the first postdoc at KTH FOOD, Jonas feels a mix of excitement and responsibility. “It’s quite strange, but also really exciting,” he says. He appreciates the opportunity to be part of the centre's development and is looking forward to working alongside other researchers who are also breaking new ground.
Contributions to Sustainable Food Systems
Jonas hopes his work will contribute to scientific understanding of dietary change. He also aims to explore how food systems might be better governed, and to offer insights useful to both researchers and practitioners working toward more sustainable food practices. By focusing on specific case studies—such as the potential for underutilized fish species to support a sustainable Swedish food system—Jonas hopes his research will provide knowledge to drive change.
Jonas concludes by sharing his favorite fact about food: how surprising it can be to learn where familiar foods actually come from. “For example, potatoes are from South America, even though they seem like such a typically European food,” he notes, underscoring how global food systems can defy our expectations.