Biography
Research Assistant in Rural Economy, for roughly the last ~20 years. Notable contributions include those in 'N-efficiency', 'Peer-Matching', 'Loss-Making Marginal Spending from Crop Variable Inputs', and on the 'EU Sugar Regime', as well as to 'Best Use of UK Agricultural Land' and 'Biomass/Oil Crops'. I also publish innovative internet services for researchers and farmers. In recent years, most work has been funded through DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). Interests include: ways to improve farm efficiency and to decrease resource / ecological footprint (eg through benchmarking and optimisation); re-use of waste; agri-policy; and rural development. In addition to: 'rules, values and norms' and research on human well-being; and contributions of religious faith to those. Formerly undertook research in experimental plant sciences (genetics/physiology/biochem), in Western Australia, including a successful technical project. My career has also included sojourns in Nicaragua and India, as well as agricultural research in Australia, South Africa, the UK, and Peru.
Joined Land Economy / RBU as an unpaid volunteer in April 2003, and appointed to this salaried post from Sept 2003 having met - through formal application - the essential criteria of a more senior research post in Land Economy.
If it were up to me (which it is not) for dissertations, I would require eligible students to WALK (with whatever assistance for human powered travel - eg Litter/Stretcher and Bearers/ Sherpas / etc - may be needed^^) as their travel to Cambridge from Home, or from their Landing point (eg Heathrow) in the UK.
In the tradition of, for example, one notable scholar who walked a rather long way to start his studies in Edinburgh. And many others who travelled widely.
^^ 'no student shall be denied entry to Cambridge University owing to financial ability' is in essence, I believe, the formal practice and policy.
Research
- Economics of Public Goods
- Theoretical analysis of Causality and Intent in Data
- Benchmarking and Farm Performance
- Data Science: in Ag Development, Sustainability and Human Factors
Publications
on:
- 'Best Use of UK Agricultural Land' (quantitative development, with CISL)
- 'The EU Sugar Regime'
- 'UK Agri-Environment'
- 'Nitrogen Balance in the England FBS' - using the FBS Fertiliser Module (following draft report, of 2016)
Further information can be found at:
- FarmBusinessSurvey.co.uk (publisher 2007 - 2023)
- BenchmarkMyFarm.co.uk (developed / publish)
- VillagePublicGoods.org/Africa (former site)
- Google scholar profile
- Twitter.com/World_Farmer
Other information:
Curriculum Vitae ( - updated January 2023)
Teaching and Supervisions
LE16: "Land, food and ecosystem services"
(2 lectures, and 2 or 3 supervisions)
I have supervised many dissertations, a few
MPhil ones, and one PhD (Trinity/Dr Holmes).
The last time I viewed it, I had submitted
some 575 completed supervision reports
on CamCORS.