Would you like to get to know the ORC staff, learn more about what they are working on at the moment and find out what inspired them to pursue a career in organic research? To help celebrate our 40th anniversary year and throughout 2021 we will be releasing short ‘ten minutes with’ interviews to let you do just that!
What is your job role at the ORC?
Supporter Engagement Manager
How long have you worked at the ORC?
Just over 2 years.
Where are you from/ where are you based?
A proud Scots who now lives in Reading.
What is your background and how did you get involved in the organic industry?
I love working in the not-for-profit sector and this is my first job in the organic industry!
What does your job role entail?
Raising vital funds so we can help more farmers develop nature-friendly solutions and switch to agroecological farming.
What are you working on at the moment?
‘Farming with Trees’ – our new fundraising appeal.
What do you enjoy about working at the ORC?
I love talking to our farmers and donors and finding out about their journey with sustainable food and farming.
What do you think the ORC’s biggest achievement over the last 40 years has been?
Agroforestry – for 20 years, we’ve been pushing the boundaries of research and have developed a dynamic range of agroforestry systems. Partnering with forward thinking farmers, we’ve designed, delivered and managed agroforestry across 40 farms.
What do you see as the future of farming and what role does the ORC play in this?
By unlocking agroforestry’s full potential in sustainable intensification, farmers can harvest more produce from the same land while boosting biodiversity and locking-up carbon. But we still need to do a lot more work to help more farmers plant the right trees in the right places and for the right reasons. That’s where ORC comes in.
See also: Our team: Dr Lubna Arif-Schmidt
