Principal - Food and Regenerative Agriculture

Background

I’ve taken a long and winding road prior to join the Forum team. I grew up on the family arable farm in Essex. Carting corn and cultivating heavy Essex clay. I studied to be a vet and practiced in the USA, New Zealand, and China, before returning to the UK to take up a role as a farm consultant. Here my time was split between individual farm technical advice and supply chain sustainability projects. I specialised in reducing farm antibiotic use through supply chain collaboration; building benchmarking and training programs that eventually covered a significant proportion of the UK dairy industry.

More recently, I have worked as a sustainability specialist within agricultural value chains, completed a Nuffield Scholarship, and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development. My thesis used novel data analysis techniques to investigate the dynamics of farms leaving the dairy industry, and how technical efficiency is used to justify changing power dynamics. I am a self-confessed food and farming geek, with a long list of niche podcasts and books on my virtual shelf.

My dream project

There are so many things that get me excited in the world of food and farming. If I had to pick one it would be to facilitate local food discussions; build networks of like minded businesses and consumers, intertwining around regenerative farming and inclusive, sustainable food.

What floats my boat outside work?

Cooking tasty, spicy, and (usually) healthy food. Baking breads of all shapes and sizes. Making as good a coffee as possible without buying yet more equipment. I love climbing, dancing, jazz and folk, films that make your brain hurt.