PGR Student News – Spring 2023

Pippa is working on data analysis and starting to write up her thesis, having finished her interviews and participatory photo project at the end of 2022. She undertook an internship with the Welsh Government earlier this year, during which she stepped outside the agri-food world to research sustainable welfare policies that could support a just transition to Net Zero. She’s also currently working on a website to share the photos and captions created by farmers during her research last year- stay tuned for updates in the coming months!

Théo is currently finishing to write-up his thesis looking at the impact of Brexit on Welsh agriculture as well as giving support on two CCRI projects in Exmoor and Dartmoor. He presented his latest article looking at the future Welsh Government agricultural policy and its potential impact on farms. The results were positive, showing that a phased approach with a focus on input substitution had the potential to improve Welsh farm’s economic and environmental performance. He noted the risks  associated with the policy development process with an uncoordinated approach. He will be leaving CCRI to join the team of farming economists in DEFRA, continuing to provide evidence to support policy development in the UK. 

Josh is currently in the midst of providing evidence-led, best-practice recommendations for public and stakeholder engagement in landscape-scale, nature recovery projects; as part of a three month internship for Nattergal. This work has involved collaborating with Highlands Rewilding, and researchers from the CCRI and Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery (Oxford) to review existing documentation, guidance, and certification standards  for engagement and consultation within land-use and management. Alongside this, Josh is also working on obtaining project and ethical approval for his PhD research addressing key skills in the transition from agriculture to nature-based recovery. A busy summer period awaits, as Josh will be attending the Evolution & Education Trust (EET) Scholars Conference in Bath, and The University of Oxford’s Agile Initiative Summer School.