I am Co-founder and Director of Wilder, a social enterprise based in London, working to create more spaces for wildlife. My Fellowship focuses on developing a comprehensive and systematic understanding of urban food production that can be applied to the work of Wilder.

I first became interested in this particular area when I was a Labour councillor in Bermondsey. I chaired Southwark Council's environmental scrutiny committee looking at ways to improve the council's climate emergency strategy, as well as leading on local greening projects.

I will be travelling to the USA and Canada to identify best practices in sustainable food production, particularly in ensuring that urban food farming increases biodiversity. Many North American cities are leading in urban food growing. I would like to look at how local and national food growing policies in North America can be applied at a community and council level in London.

At the heart of my research is looking at the role of civil society in urban farming, how campaigns for changes in urban land use are realised and how urban food production is inclusive of those most adversely affected by climate change.