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
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Ecosummit presentations now here
After a delay thanks to a trip to Brazil - more on that soon - here are the two presentations on Sustainable Intensification at the global EcoSummit 2016 in Montpelier at the end of August. |
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Leeds Food Audit now published
Feed Leeds conducted a review of who is doing what about supporting sustainable, healthy food production, distribution and consumption. This report, commissioned by Leeds City Council, has now been published, and is available here. Such a snapshot report cannot capture all the many activities going on in the city, but sets the scene for a more strategic approach to enhancing food security in the City. Reviewing progress for the White Rose projects MycoRhizaSoil and SoilBioHedge
The annual meeting to discuss progress on the two big White Rose soil projects at Leeds University Farm took place on 16 May in beautiful weather. We are now starting to get lots of data through on how changes to crop and land management are changing the soils, but it's too soon to get a clear picture of what is going on |
New project on the impacts of sustainable soil management on farmland birds
The sustainable management of arable soils is aimed at increasing its quality for crop and grass production, by improving its structure, carbon content, biodiversity and soil function. It may seem a no-brainer that these improvements should make life better for those farmland birds that forage for food on, or just below, the soil surface, such as starlings. But is that really so? We are teaming up with the RSPB on a new PhD research project by Sofia Biffi, who has just been awarded a Leeds Anniversary Research Scholarship. The work will start this autumn, and will address relationships between soil management and birds at the Leeds Uni Farm, the RSPB's Hope Farm near Cambridge, and other locations. More to follow as we get started!
The sustainable management of arable soils is aimed at increasing its quality for crop and grass production, by improving its structure, carbon content, biodiversity and soil function. It may seem a no-brainer that these improvements should make life better for those farmland birds that forage for food on, or just below, the soil surface, such as starlings. But is that really so? We are teaming up with the RSPB on a new PhD research project by Sofia Biffi, who has just been awarded a Leeds Anniversary Research Scholarship. The work will start this autumn, and will address relationships between soil management and birds at the Leeds Uni Farm, the RSPB's Hope Farm near Cambridge, and other locations. More to follow as we get started!
New proposed definition for Sustainable Intensification published in Nature Plants
See inside, here and here
See inside, here and here
New work on quantifying the sustainabiliy of farming across British regions is starting to bear fruit ..
....see inside
....see inside
