Profile

I studied for a degree in Biochemistry and then for a PhD in Molecular Plant Pathology from the University of Wales. I then joined Rhone-Poulenc as a plant biochemist working in both the UK and France, and then in research project management in Aventis CropScience.

As a total change in direction, I switched to communicating science in 2002 and I am the Communications & Government Affairs Manager of Bayer CropScience. I am based in Cambridge dealing with media, political and public enquiries on the subject of crop production, innovative plant breeding, together with more general issues surrounding pesticide use and sustainable agriculture. In addition, my role covers policy and corporate social responsibility.

I am also the Chair of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council (abc), representing the major companies interested in the application of biotechnology in agriculture. In addition, I chair the respective communications groups of the Crop Protection Association in the UK and EuropaBio inBrussels. All three positions are all about communication, something that we as an industry should spend more time and effort doing.

Approximately 16 million farmers from around the world currently choose to grow a GM crop in 29 different countries Over 90% of these are resource-poor farmers in developing countries. They do so because it works for them. In Europe, there is not so much GM crops being grown (mainly in Spain and Portugal), because of political wrangling at a European level.

We have some of the best and most innovative farmers in the world. Given the right tools to do the job, they can make safe, high quality affordable food in a way that doesnt require more land to be ploughed up, and that does not use up natural resources in such an unsustainable way.

Although clearly it will not solve all our food problems, I believe that GM can help the sustainable intensification of agriculture, and we will see it being used here in the UK in the future. Helping farmers, reducing the environmental footprint of farming, climate proofing crops, improving the nutritional content of our foods. All of these are either achieved commercially already or are in field trials.