Meet the AgriFood Team - Holiday Edition

Cameron Davies

Expertise: AgriFood Africa Connect

The most interesting innovation project I worked on in 2022

One exciting area we have recently started exploring is how to address crop damage caused by birds in Africa. We are speaking to academics and businesses to explore innovations that can reduce the damage done to key crops by migratory birds, which will benefit farmers and wider food security.

What I enjoy most about supporting AgriFood innovation

No other sector has such a huge impact on both people and the planet. It is so exciting to work with world changing AgriFood innovations.

My favourite holiday food

It has to be the humble roast potato, drenched in gravy. My stomach capacity triples around Christmas time so I can usually eat at least 10.

What I like most about the holidays

Seeing my family and dogs, playing games, the food, drinking prosecco in the morning, playing football with old friends, long walks, then cosying up in front of the TV.

Caroline Griffin

Expertise: Livestock and Aquaculture

The most interesting innovation project I worked on in 2022

Working on our Seaweed Innovation in the UK event was great. It was so interesting to see the innovation happening within the seaweed industry and I’m really enjoying seeing the industry grow and overcome challenges. I like the fact that it has cross-over into other areas that we work with too, like Industrial Biotechnology and Net Zero.

What I enjoy most about supporting AgriFood innovation

The variety in my job. Finding out about innovation from sheep farmers in Devon, but also avocado growers in Africa, and everything in between.

My favourite holiday food

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire of course. Me and my Grandad always used to love doing this and I do it with my kids now too.

What I like most about the holidays

We hold a ceilidh every year on New year’s Eve at the local village hall and it’s the best thing about the Christmas holidays. Can’t beat a ceilidh!

Cathryn Lambourne

Expertise: Agriculture and Horticulture

The most interesting innovation project I worked on in 2022

Supporting an application for Smart Grant funding to build a robotic mushroom picker to reduce labour costs in the UK mushroom sector.

What I enjoy most about supporting AgriFood innovation

Meeting interesting and innovative people who are passionate about their ideas.

My favourite holiday food

Christmas pudding with brandy butter.

What I like most about the holidays

Spending time with family and relaxing.

Christopher Till

Expertise: Plants, Crops and Agroforestry

The most interesting innovation project I worked on in 2022

Helping a young graduate who is developing a low cost, precise and easy to use sensor for in fields nitrates for precision agriculture.

What I enjoy most about supporting AgriFood innovation

I love seeing all the amazingly unique and ‘out of the box’ innovations people are working hard on to increase the sustainability of agriculture.

My favourite holiday food

Red cabbage with loganberries at Christmas is something I love. I got introduced to it by a Czech friend and really love it!

What I like most about the holidays

Long family dog walks, cycling with my brother in law, Christmas Day runs and Boxing Day swims. Basically any time spent outdoors and then coming back to a log fire to feast!

David Telford

Head of AgriFood

The most interesting innovation project I worked on in 2022

Working with Joanna and other Innovate UK KTN and Innovate UK colleagues to run a new GCRF AgriFood Africa Innovation Awards funding call to support over 40 new collaborative projects between the UK and Africa. The projects span the whole Agriculture and Food production sectors. We hope it will kick start lots of new longer term collaborations benefiting African food systems.

What I enjoy most about supporting AgriFood innovation

I like meeting interesting people with cutting-edge innovations, and seeing how we can help them develop and grow over time –  and develop their technologies that will ultimately benefit the sector.

My favourite holiday food

Pigs in blankets.

What I like most about the holidays

Switching off and spending time with family and friends, and the chance to undertake a bit of farming and watch festive football!

Debbie Tully

Expertise: Food and Drink

The most interesting innovation project I worked on in 2022

Looking at the challenge around food waste, in particular soft produce food waste in Africa, has been really interesting. There is so much potential to improve the well-being and prosperity of African agri stakeholders and to bridge the forthcoming food shortage gap by reducing and reusing food waste thanks to technology and best practices.

What I enjoy most about supporting AgriFood innovation

I really enjoy the variety of topics we engage with, always learning something and it’s all worthwhile when you see companies progress.

My favourite holiday food

Bread sauce to go with the turkey! Every year I make sloe gin and experiment with additions. This year, it is sloe gin with cardamom and pink grapefruit.

What I like most about the holidays

I love catching up with family and friends and taking our yearly visit to Pitlochry.

Jo Gosling

Expertise: Aquaculture, Livestock, Wool Innovation Network

The most interesting innovation project I worked on in 2022

Working with the members of the Wool Innovation Network has been fascinating. Wool is such an undervalued, smart, technical fibre with so many uses from fertiliser to biofiltration, insulation and soil management. Looking forward to seeing what projects develop in 2023!

What I enjoy most about supporting AgriFood innovation

Meeting pioneering and driven people who aren’t afraid to take a risk and share their ideas for the sake of finding a better way of doing things.

My favourite holiday food

Relaxing with the family around a post Christmas day cheese board with all the trimmings.

What I like most about the holidays

Spending lots of time being silly with my nieces who are 2 and 5. Getting away from screens and having “should-less days” where I don’t say “I really should get on with…”.

Joanna Scales

Expertise: AgriFood Africa Connect

The most interesting innovation project I worked on in 2022

I’ve really enjoyed being involved in our work on collaboration between the UK and Africa on breeding approaches for Forgotten Foods. Working with external partners to gather people who are working in this space internationally raised interesting opportunities around how the UK can help address global challenges.

What I enjoy most about supporting AgriFood innovation

I like being able to learn more about specific topics or challenges through meeting the innovators working to address these.

My favourite holiday food

My Dad’s homemade cranberry sauce.

What I like most about the holidays

Mince pies. In my family, the holidays are mainly about all of us getting together around food!

Pedro Carvalho

Expertise: Plants and Crops

The most interesting innovation project I worked on in 2022
Bringing innovative farmers into the innovation arena by helping them access Research Starter Projects funding has been the highlight of 2022 for me.

What I enjoy most about supporting AgriFood innovation
I love hearing about the new ideas that innovators come up with, and help them to make ‘out of the box’ connections that can move their ideas towards a final product.

My favourite holiday food

My favourite Christmas food is the traditional Portuguese boiled cod fish, egg, potatoes, and cabbage dinner for Christmas Eve. Simple and tasty.

What I like most about the holidays

Walks with my brother and daughter in my hometown – Sintra, Portugal. It was called a “Glorious Eden” by poet Lord Byron.

Simon Baty

Expertise: Food and Drink

The most interesting innovation project I worked on in 2022

Working with Kaeli to support, coach and mentor people who applied for the Transforming Food Production: Series A Investor Partnership Programme (round 2). It resulted in five SMEs being offered a total of £4.6 million grant funding aligned to >£30 million of private investment.

What I enjoy most about supporting AgriFood innovation

Accelerating innovation in a sector that everyone needs, as we all have to eat!

My favourite holiday food

Sprouts – just love ’em!

What I like most about the holidays

Watching more sport than normal (if that is possible).

If you’d like support to fast-track your innovative AgriFood project, get in touch with our AgriFood team now.