Overview

As an interdisciplinary social scientist, I follow emerging socio-ecological, technological, economic and agri/cultural ideas, practices and policies that ‘promise’ sustainable futures. 

Much of my research to date has focused ethnographically on future food politics, particularly the global implications of synthetic biology and lab-grown food and how it intersects with established food cultures, agricultural livelihoods, biodiversity and traditional knowers, growers and users of natural products.

Part of this has involved attending UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP meetings, researching the governance of genetic resources and synthetic biology, the issue of (digital) biopiracy, the bioeconomy and biocultural justice. Another part of this has involved a 'follow-the-thing' study of the stevia plant. I am currently writing a book Un-Earthing Stevia supported by a Postdoctoral Fellowship Award from the UK Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC).

I am interested in developing further research into plant and food stories, agrobiocultural diversity, biocultural decline, and the promissory hi-tech/low-tech interface between agroecology and gene-editing in the race for 'net-zero' - methodologically rooted in decolonial, feminist, creative audio/visual and transdisciplinary approaches.

Broad research specialisms:

• Critical agrarian studies (future food systems, plant politics).
• Decolonial, feminist Science & Technology Studies (STS).
• Global bioeconomies, genetic engineering & synthetic biology
• UN Biodiversity & Food governance (agri-biodiversity and justice)
• Political ecology (politics of knowledge, land and promissory sustainability)
• Corporate Social Responsibility and Responsible Innovation
• Creative, interdisciplinary methods, multi-sited ethnography and follow-the-thing

Qualifications

PhD  Global Political Economy (University of Bristol)
MRes Global Political Economy: Transformations & Policy Analysis (University of Bristol)
BA (hons) International Development (University of Sussex)

Foundation Degree in Art & Design (Falmouth University)
 

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Research

Research projects

ESRC Postdoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Fellowship:

From the Land to the Lab: Unearthing synthetic biology food futures and the changing ‘nature’ of production, through a global ethnobotanical and biocultural study of stevia / ka’a he’ê.

Research networks

• Exeter Food Network
• Environmental Justice Research Cluster (HASS Cornwall)
• Decolonising Knowledges Research Collective (HASS Cornwall)
• Plant Humanities Exeter
• Environment & Sustainability Research Group
• Cultural and Historical Geographies research group
• Institute of Cornish Studies
• EGENIS (Centre for the study of Life Sciences)

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Publications

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Office Hours:

I work Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

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