I'm an agro-ecologist based at the University of Leeds, with interests in sustainable agriculture, land management and food production. My research has addressed competition between arable weeds and crops; the impacts of farming systems on biodiversity (including organic and GM); national surveys of biodiversity and land use; the assessment of ecosystem services from agricultural land; systems for measuring and monitoring ecological processes; defining and measuring the concept of sustainable intensification of farming and ensuring a sustainable and secure system of food supply for cities.
If you want to look at my photos (including of research sites and visits) you have come to the wrong place - you should be here
If you want to look at my photos (including of research sites and visits) you have come to the wrong place - you should be here
Results from the Sustainable Intensification Research Platform
The results from the recent Defra-funded Sustainable Intensification Research Platform (SIP) are now out. You can see the results of the analysis of the performance of commercial farms, and of consideration of the practices they may favour, can be found here.
The results from the recent Defra-funded Sustainable Intensification Research Platform (SIP) are now out. You can see the results of the analysis of the performance of commercial farms, and of consideration of the practices they may favour, can be found here.
The summer of '18, should we be worried?
Given what's happening in our fields in this hot, dry weather, perhaps we should be .... see the blog here
Given what's happening in our fields in this hot, dry weather, perhaps we should be .... see the blog here
Appointed to the European Food Standards Authority GMO panel 2018-21
I'm delighted to say I've been appointed to the EFSA GMO panel, which means I'll be involved in the guidance to the EU on the environmental riskjs associated with the releases on GMOs in Europe. I'm really looking forward to my first meeting in July.
I'm delighted to say I've been appointed to the EFSA GMO panel, which means I'll be involved in the guidance to the EU on the environmental riskjs associated with the releases on GMOs in Europe. I'm really looking forward to my first meeting in July.
We want to make the Leeds food system provide healthy, sustainable food to those who need it.
But how can we do this? We need your help. If you live in and around Leeds, or care about our city's food, please sign the Leeds Food Charter. Also, the Leeds Food Partnership has developed a draft Food Action Plan for the city ... this is now out for consultation. Please let us know your ideas, what you are already doing as individuals, organisations and businesses, and most importantly, what you are planning to do in the near future. See the LFP website for more details.
But how can we do this? We need your help. If you live in and around Leeds, or care about our city's food, please sign the Leeds Food Charter. Also, the Leeds Food Partnership has developed a draft Food Action Plan for the city ... this is now out for consultation. Please let us know your ideas, what you are already doing as individuals, organisations and businesses, and most importantly, what you are planning to do in the near future. See the LFP website for more details.
Grand Challenges in Sustainable Intensification and Ecosystem Services
New paper is out, that summarises the Grand Challenge of sustainable intensification to introduce the Sustainable Intensification and Ecosystem Service section of Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. Find it on the Frontiers site here, or on this website here.
New paper is out, that summarises the Grand Challenge of sustainable intensification to introduce the Sustainable Intensification and Ecosystem Service section of Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. Find it on the Frontiers site here, or on this website here.
The world's large agricultural experiment?
I was interviewed by Nature to comment on a new experiment contrasting contemporary farming with the use of targeted farm management, using models, undertaken by smallholders from across China. I was blown away by the sheer scale of the study. I said, “This is an astonishing project of a scale way beyond anything I am familiar with”. While this kind of work "would clearly have benefits across sub-Saharan Africa, but an approach is needed that crosses borders, organizations and funders.” See my blog about whether we can use big data approaches to avoid the need for such experiments; my feeling is no, or at leasy not yet.
I was interviewed by Nature to comment on a new experiment contrasting contemporary farming with the use of targeted farm management, using models, undertaken by smallholders from across China. I was blown away by the sheer scale of the study. I said, “This is an astonishing project of a scale way beyond anything I am familiar with”. While this kind of work "would clearly have benefits across sub-Saharan Africa, but an approach is needed that crosses borders, organizations and funders.” See my blog about whether we can use big data approaches to avoid the need for such experiments; my feeling is no, or at leasy not yet.
