natural capital officer | Northumberland National Park Authority
PhD Researcher | UK Food Systems Centre for Doctoral Training/ Centre for Food Policy (City St George's, University of London)
Beans, peas and other pulses. The role of the food retail sector in food systems transformation. Healthy and sustainable diets.
My PhD research at the Centre for Food Policy brings together my multidisciplinary experience in sustainability and nutrition, focusing on food system transformation for better environmental and health outcomes. My research focuses on improving food systems outcomes through the increased production and consumption of beans, peas and pulses in the UK, with a focus on the role of the retail sector. I am a Chartered Environmentalist with twenty years’ professional experience in sustainability management and consulting across the public, private and voluntary sectors. In recognition that food can play a pivotal role in promoting both personal and planetary health, I retrained in nutrition through the Royal Society of Public Health, and studied Postgraduate Clinical Nutrition prior to starting my PhD.
Doctoral researcher | Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Germany
Food insecurity, loss, and waste reduction
As an Agricultural Extension Specialist, Researcher, and Public Speaker with over a decade of academic and professional experience, I am passionate about advancing agricultural sustainability and promoting sustainable food systems. I graduated top of my class in the Masters in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development and I am currently pursuing doctoral research with a focus on understanding the complexities of #food loss. My expertise encompasses both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, enabling me to develop effective interview protocols and questionnaires. I specialize in designing and implementing agricultural extension education programs, including initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable agricultural practices in secondary schools.
Professor | University of York
Food system quantitative modelling, resilience to climate and other impacts. Public engagement on food system transformation.
I lead on Metrics for FixOurFood, a project which aims to transform the Yorkshire food system to one that is regenerative. We are developing an interactive tool, which measures the impact of different interventions on the food system, which will help policymakers make effective decisions around food system transformation. My recent research focuses on thinking about how to feed the UK amid catastrophic food system disruption, and the resilience of the UK food system. I’m the founder of Take a Bite Out of Climate Change, a public engagement project, which brings together leading scientists from around the UK, to develop educational resources focused on the link between food and climate change.
Distinguished Fellow | Chatham House
Food system transformation in the face of future uncertainty, to build resilience, sustainability and healthier diets.
Long history of working on sustainable farming and food system transformation within academia, as a civil servant and most recently at Chatham House. Lots of experience working with governments and a range of institutions (like the IPCC), as well as industry and civil society.
Professor of Human Nutrition | UEA
Human nutrition, micronutrients
Head of Research Programmes | Carbon Technology Research Foundation
CTRF invests in discovery research which uses the power of biology and biotechnology to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and oceans. There's plenty of overlap with the AFN Network+, and I am always happy to discuss our work with anyone, or be guided to new areas of research. Particularly interested in views on the development of a biotechnology/GHG removals research ecosystem.
Currently managing CTRF's research programme, including working with current grantholders and developing new initiatives for future research calls. Previously worked at BBSRC, including as portfolio manager for the soils and agrisystems disciplines.
Senior Consultant | NNFCC Ltd
Lecturer in Aquaculture Nutrition | University of Stirling
repurposing agriculture and fisheries waste to obtain bioactive compounds that could be fed to aquatic organisms.
I am a lecturer in Aquaculture Nutrition at the University of Stirling. I have a passion for understanding the impact of changing environments on the nutritional needs of farmed aquatic species. With expertise in developing sustainable and resilient feeding strategies, I have experience formulating diets, analysing lipid and amino acid content, and evaluating immune response and flesh quality. My work also focuses on extracting nutrients and bioactive compounds from agricultural and fisheries byproducts.
Sustainability Research and Development Executive | HCC
Local Councillor | West Devon Borough Council
Elizabeth Creak Chair in Rural Policy & Strategy | Royal Agricultural University
Land use strategy, farmer-led innovation
I am Professor of Rural Policy & Strategy at the Royal Agricultural University, where my focus is on how to make agricultural research more useful on the ground and in policy. I am a founder-director of the Centre for Effective Innovation in Agriculture, alongside partners at Reading, Warwick, Newcastle and Harper Adams universities. Current research includes projects on land use change and the social implications of cultured meat. I advise the Food, Farming & Countryside Commission (www.ffcc.co.uk), and was part of the team who produced the National Food Strategy, led by Henry Dimbleby (www.nationalfoodstrategy.org). Until 2019, I was Director of Innovation at the Soil Association, a British-based non-profit promoting better food and farming. I established Innovative Farmers (www.innovativefarmers.org), a network that backs hands-on R&D by farmers, providing peer group support, funding and research expertise. Before joining the Soil Association in 2011, I was Executive Director of the Food Ethics Council, where highlights included collecting the BBC Food & Farming Awards 'Derek Cooper Award'. I've served on various advisory groups and boards, including the expert advisory panel for the UK Cabinet Office Food Matters report, ScienceWise, the BBSRC Science and Society Strategy Panel, and the boards of Sustain and the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership. My PhD investigated the use and abuse of science in food regulation.
