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As a Research Fellow at the Centre for Food Policy (City, University of London), Mark is responsible for establishing and leading new, interdisciplinary projects exploring public policy solutions for healthy diets in the UK and internationally. Mark’s primary research interests here centre on seeking to better understand peoples’ lived experiences of local food environments, and how findings from these inquiries can contribute to more effective and inclusive food policy. Prior to his current position, Mark completed his PhD in Public Health at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, where he researched low income community access to safe and nutritious food. Prior to that, he worked as a Research Program Manager at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Institute for Global Tobacco Control.
Kerry is a sustainability expert who joined Belfast Food Network as its first Coordinator in 2014, overseeing a network of organisations that secured a Sustainable Food Cities award in 2016. She has 20 years’ experience of managing participatory urban regeneration projects in post conflict Belfast. Kerry specialises in community development, empowerment, stakeholder relationships, participatory practices,conflict resolution, stakeholder analysis, fundraising, and delivering award winning, challenging projects. Kerry completed a MSc in Sustainable Development and Environment at University College London, following a degree in International Development. You’ll find her pottering in her herb garden or cooking up sumptuous banquets made with fresh, local and seasonal produce.
Sofia is the Sustainable Food Places Policy and Campaigns Coordinator and leads on driving local and national action on key food issues for the network. This includes developing and coordinating campaigns, amplifying the voice of SFP members at a national level and advocating on specific issues where local priorities need national action. As part of this role, Sofia coordinates the Veg Cities campaign calling on local action to increase availability and consumption of vegetables.
Sofia has been working at Sustain since 2015 and during that time she led the roll out of the Sugar Smart campaign, from an idea piloted by a hand full of pioneer cities, to a national campaign with over 50 places involved. She coordinated the Good Food for London report which shines a light on action on good food by London boroughs and was a trustee of the Eating Better alliance.
She grew up on a farm in the north of Portugal and has a degree in Agronomy from the Technical University of Lisbon.
Director of Kantar Worldpanel, Giles has 30 years’ experience in food and drink research (age does not bestow wisdom). Professionally, he is responsible for the Worldpanel consumption services – covering food, drink and personal care, and also health and nutritional tracking.His recent work focuses on health, obesity and nutrition and includes work with the FSA and FDF on the nutritional composition of UK shopping baskets.
He is a regular contributor to TV and Radio and has given many lectures on food and food consumption in the UK and internationally.
Richard is Development Director for WRAP, a UK charity at the forefront of the circular economy – thought leaders, champions of action and catalysts for change.
Richard joined WRAP in 2004, leading the team that created and delivered the innovative “Courtauld Commitment” – the first agreement of its kind between WRAP and UK supermarket retailers committed to an ambitious and collaborative approach to packaging and food waste reduction. Between 2007 and 2012 this voluntary agreement, together with WRAP’s internationally renowned Love Food Hate Waste campaign, helped reduce packaging and food waste by more than 3 million tonnes, reducing carbon emissions by over 8 million tonnes.
As Development Director, Richard leads on developing and delivering WRAP’s international and new product development strategies. A particular focus is on delivering the relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals – e.g 12.3 on halving food waste reduction.
Atul is a key member of PwC UK’s Performance Assurance practice, taking a lead role in advising and guiding a variety of organisations in establishing new innovative ways to measure, monitor and report on their performance and impacts – specifically those that go beyond traditional financial metrics.
With over 20 years of experience in governance, risk and control, Atul is leading the development of appropriate frameworks, organisational arrangements and assurance of a diverse range of measures. He is working with a broad range of clients on the emergence and rising importance of measuring impacts – most recently he has developed the PwC Insight Report that is helping organisations to be more transparent about their evolving performance measures and thereby instilling greater confidence in their stakeholders.
In addition to his client work, Atul has worked with external organisations in an advisory capacity on how they establish pragmatic measurement, reporting and monitoring frameworks for their members.
Pearl Costello is a sustainability change-maker and is leading Cardiff’s Sustainable Food Places programme through Food Cardiff.
Pearl previously led an ambitious and transformational sustainability programme at the Royal Agricultural University, winning multiple awards including the Guardian University Award for Sustainability Project in 2016. She also developed innovative engagement and behaviour change programmes with the National Union of Students.
Pearl’s role in Peas Please is to support local place-based action through Veg Cities and facilitate and empower the people’s voice on veg.
Lindsay grew up on her parents’ vegetable farm in Co. Down, Northern Ireland, and helped with all areas of the business from planting, harvesting, packing and delivering fresh, seasonal vegetables to customers from a very young age.
Lindsay is an Honours Graduate of University of Ulster, Masters Graduate of Queens University, Belfast, and holds a Diploma in Marketing, Advertising and PR from Queens University, Belfast. She completed a three-month work placement with Food NI in 2009, and has been working with Food NI ever since. Lindsay has a great interest in vegetable consumption, and completed her MSc thesis on “The lack of knowledge children have on where their food comes from”.
Lindsay’s main role is to manage and create opportunities for 200+ food and drink producers, processors and retailers who are members of Food NI. Food NI is a not for profit, membership organisation and works to enhance the reputation of food and drink from Northern Ireland. In 2018, Northern Ireland won “Best Food Destination” at the World Travel Market International Travel and Tourism Awards for a very successful 2016 Year of Food and Drink.
In her spare time, Lindsay enjoys spending time with her husband and two young children, running, cooking, going on long walks and spending time with friends and family.
Katie was appointed in her current role as Sustainable Food Cities Co-ordinator for Food Cardiff in April 2014 and is working in partnership with the public, private and third sectors to generate a fair and vibrant food economy in Cardiff. Under this programme, Cardiff has become one of the first UK first cities to be granted Sustainable Food City status and has led on the development of the award winning School Holiday Enrichment Programme.
Katie is a member of the Food and Drink Wales Industry Board and the Wales Food Poverty Alliance. She is also working in partnership with the Food Power programme, led by Sustain and Church Poverty in Action, as a Peer Mentor to support emerging Food Poverty Alliances to tackle food poverty and address its root causes in communities across Wales.
Building on the success of Food Cardiff, Katie is currently supporting the development of the national charity, Food Sense Wales, which will help shape food policy that makes sense across the whole of the food system in Wales. Food Sense Wales will lead on the development of Peas Please in Wales.
Katie has an MSc in Nutrition from Kings College London and an MSc in Food Policy with distinction at City University. She has a background in Food and Nutrition and also worked in local government as part of the Leader Plus project in Monmouthshire to promote local food businesses.
Michele is the Chief Executive of FoodNI, a membership organisation dedicated to enhancing the reputation of Northern Ireland’s food and drink, representing over 450 member companies (including 200 Taste of Ulster Restaurants) and acting as a strategic driver to support the industry to achieve greatness. Michele was central to delivery in 2016 of the first ever Year of Food and Drink, which increased positive visitor attitudes towards Northern Ireland food and drink by 23% and resulted in Northern Ireland winning the International Travel and Tourism Awards – Best Food Destination 2018-19. She is now spearheading the Our food, the Power of Good strategy to establish Northern Ireland as a leading food region in the UK by 2025.
