Find Bree Hurst on
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) (Queensland University of Technology), Bachelor of Business (Honours) (Queensland University of Technology), Bachelor of Business (Public Relations) (Queensland University of Technology)
Associate Professor Bree Hurst (PhD) currently serves as Deputy Director of QUT’s Centre for Decent Work & Industry and formerly led the Agrifood Systems program at QUT’s Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy. She is also the Study Area Coordinator for the Strategic Advertising and Public Relations major and the Public Relations major at QUT.
Bree's research is strongly aligned with UNSDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, focusing on the areas of organisational responsibility and responsible governance, particularly in relation to complex problems like food loss and waste. Her research has spanned numerous agriculture-focused initiatives, including a landmark national study investigating trading practices contributing to food loss and waste in Australia. She has also worked with the United Nations Environment Programme, providing strategic guidance and advice to global policymakers on regulatory frameworks and circular economy pathways in the textile sector.
Bree's research is grounded in transdisciplinary approaches that bridge policy, industry, and social science to drive sustainable transformation. Her work regularly informs public policy through inquiry submissions and case studies. She was also a member of the Standards Australia Technical Committee FT-037, contributing to the development of AS 5401 (INT): 2025 Food Loss and Waste Management System.
Projects (Chief investigator)
Projects
Additional information
- Devin, B. & Richards, C. (2018). Food waste, power, and corporate social responsibility in the Australian food supply chain. Journal of Business Ethics, 150(1), 199–210. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/222970
- Richards, C., Hurst, B., Messner, R. & O'Connor, G. (2021). The paradoxes of food waste reduction in the horticultural supply chain. Industrial Marketing Management, 93, 482–491. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/207428
- Hurst, B. & Johnston, K. (2021). The social imperative in public relations: Utilities of social impact, social license and engagement. Public Relations Review, 47(2). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/210222
- Hurst, B., Johnston, K. & Lane, A. (2020). Engaging for a social licence to operate (SLO). Public Relations Review, 46(4). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/202038
- Hurst, B., Roper, J. & George, M. (2019). Can corporations take political roles [and should they]? The case of Papua New Guinea and the extractive industry. Resources Policy, 64, 1–6. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/133902
- Hurst, B. & Ihlen, O. (2018). Corporate social responsibility and engagement: Commitment, mapping of responsibilities, and closing the loop. In K. Johnston & M. Taylor (Eds.), The handbook of communication engagement (Handbooks in Communication and Media) (pp. 133–147). John Wiley & Sons. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/127469
- Johnston, K., Lane, A., Devin, B. & Beatson, A. (2018). Episodic and relational community engagement: Implications for social impact and social license. In K. Johnston & M. Taylor (Eds.), The handbook of communication engagement (Handbooks in Communication and Media) (pp. 169–185). John Wiley & Sons. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/109798
- Lane, A. & Devin, B. (2018). Operationalizing stakeholder engagement in CSR: A process approach. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 25(3), 267–280. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/115559
- Hurst, B. & Lane, A. (2014). Communicating engagement in corporate social responsibility: A meta-level construal of engagement. Journal of Public Relations Research, 26(5), 436–454. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/74780
- Koya, N., Hurst, B. & Roper, J. (2021). In whose interests? When relational engagement to obtain a social license leads to paradoxical outcomes. Public Relations Review, 47(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/207889