Research group links

• Centre for Rural Policy Research

Research interests

 My research focuses on areas relating to the social dimension of farming's and farmers' relationship with wider (nonfarming) society. My current research interests are:

Understanding approaches to in-person engagement between farming and nonfarming people conducive to relationship-building and mutual sharing of knowledge and learning in support of a co-created social licence to farm.

The role, nature and performance of dialogic communication between farming and nonfarming people in enabling transition to sustainable food systems.

The interdependencies and co-benefits of in-person engagement between farming and nonfarming people to farmer wellbeing.

By prioritising a transdisciplinary, co-production approach to research through collaboration with policy, industry and community-based actors, I want to focus on delivering research outcomes which are impactful and socially useful. I am particularly interested in developing my skills and experience in participative research methods.

Other information

Member of Exeter Food Network, Exeter University

 Member of the European Society for Rural Sociology (ESRS)

Biography

I completed an MSc Food Policy (Distinction) City, University of London (2020) before undertaking my PhD at Centre for Rural Policy Research (2020-2023). My thesis 'Towards a social licence to farm: an Aristotelian approach to farmers' engagement with nonfarming people' explored beef and sheep farmers' purpose and practice of engagement with nonfarming people using an original theoretically-informed conceptual framework which drew on social licence to operate theory, aspects of communication theories and Aristotelian moral philosophy. The qualitative study used a combination of in-depth interviews and a participative polyphonic workshop involving farming and nonfarming people, to understand the extent to which farmers' engagement practices were conducive to co-creating their social licences to farm and ways forward at the farmer and industry level to develop practice towards that goal.  

I aim to deliver relevant, impactful research by prioritising a transdisciplinary, participatory research approach in collaboration with policy, industry and community-based actors.

As part of developing my skillset in participative research methods, I completed the Rural Link/FWAG Rural Facilitator Training (2024). 

Before turning to academic study, I farmed cattle and sheep in an organic nature-friendly farming system for 15 years. I am interested in all things food and farming, a lover of cows, especially Red Ruby Devons.