A University of Exeter researcher will cycle hundreds of miles across England to interview women in farming about their visions for the future.
PhD student Veronica White will set off from Land's End on 12 April on a route of over 1,200 miles, ending at the Scottish border in July.
The future of farming is often visualised in high-tech terms - but White's tour will investigate how women living or working on England's farms imagine what the future of food production could look like.
Explaining her reasons for her "PhD by bike", White said: "I was born in the US but I grew up in the Netherlands, where my family travelled by bike or public transport.
"I don't drive, so cycling is still my main mode of transport - and of course it's also a low-carbon, sustainable way to travel, which is important to me.
"By cycling, I will see and experience the farming landscapes I ride through - I will feel the hills in my legs, and experience the seasons as they shift."
She added: "Women in the UK cycle a lot less than men, and farming is male-dominated - so I aim to highlight the role of women in both these areas."
White will stop at various points along her journey to spend several days meeting people in farming communities.
Reflecting on the challenge of bike touring and camping, she said: "I know that this cycle tour is not going to be easy. It will, most likely, be the hardest thing I've ever done.
"But isn't that what they say about doing a PhD, too? Nobody starts a PhD thinking it's going to be easy - so why not throw a 1,200-mile cycle ride into the mix?!"
