Building Sustainable Agri-Food Systems

Dana MacGregor

Rothamsted Research

Dana is a Weed Molecular Biologist at Rothamsted Research. Her career asks how plants chose the right molecular responses that allow them, or their offspring, to survive the challenges of their environment. Dana is currently applying her molecular genetics training (B.S., PhD and two post-doctoral positions) to agricultural weeds. After a Knowledge Exchange Fellowship at Durham University, Dana established the MacGregor Lab in 2018 at Rothamsted Research, where we investigate how arable weeds (particularly black-grass) can thrive in the agri-environment, despite our best efforts to eradicate them. We use unbiased approaches to discover genes that underpin weediness and are establishing methods for hypothesis-led research to be done directly in non-model organisms like weeds.

Emily Norton

Savills plc

Emily is Head of Rural Research at Savills and a director of the Oxford Farming Conference for 2021-2023. She spends most of her working life interpreting rural, climate and sustainability policy and helping clients develop land based investment strategies in response. This includes the New Agriculture Act in England, and making the most of emerging Natural Capital opportunities across the country.

James Alden

Climate Edge

Co-founder and CCO of Climate Edge. Climate Edge is developing a series of digital tools to support organisations provide services to smallholder farmers in developing countries. Adopting a digital strategy is difficult in these markets, which is why Climate Edge is here to help. We make it easy to adopt tools such as SMS in day-to-day communication with smallholders using a user lead design approach.Over the years I have had the pleasure of working closely with many members of the Center of Environmental Policy at Imperial, in particular Senior Research Fellow Megan Quinlan and Professor John Mumford.

Kazi Jawoad Hossain

GEOPOTATO

Kazi is a young AgTech development professional who has been leading a Global award-winning startup, GEOPOTATO. GEOPOTATO is an SMS and voice-based advisory service for farmers that uses satellite and weather data to send alerts and recommendations regarding possible late blight attacks. Besides work, he is very active in advocacy works for climate action and technology. Kazi is a Chevening Scholar at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) where he researching Commercialization on Agriculture Technology.