Grantham Scholar Dr Daniel Casey is currently Head of Geography, Academic Strategy Tutor, and House Warden at Oxford International College. At the Grantham Centre he researched what makes a good partnership approach between food production and the environment.
Since leaving the Grantham Centre, Daniel Casey established the first ever geography department at Oxford International College. Then, through championing the subject, he grew the programme. To begin with there was only 1 AS class – but this doubled in size during the first year it was offered. Now Daniel has expanded provision to offer GCSE and A2 Geography. As a result, in 2021 the school had their first ever geography university applicant.
Agricultural production plays a fundamental role in the management of the natural environment in the UK. Food is the primary outcome of agriculture, but so too are many other ‘public goods’ such as clean water and a healthy environment. There are many ways that food production can be encouraged that also look after the environment. One example is public-private partnerships which bring together different stakeholders (government, private companies and individual landowners) to make sure there is a good balance between increasing food production and limiting environmental harm.
The aim of this PhD is to answer the question: what makes a good partnership approach? Who needs to be involved, what are the appropriate roles and responsibilities to make the relationship sustainable and what kind of ecological benefits do these partnerships provide?
This project is part of the Risk, Resilience and Responsibility in Public-Private Partnerships in the Green Economy interdisciplinary scholarship network.
Grantham Scholars organise sustainability seminars with a range of experts as part of their training. For one of these seminars Clean Power for All, Daniel chaired. Excerpts are on the Grantham Centre YouTube channel.
Sustainable intensification is considered by many to be one the foundations of a sustainable future food system. But what does it mean and how can it be achieved? Dan Casey reflects on the discussion he hosted on this subject. Read: Sustainable Intensification, to be or not to be? That is the question.
Daniel met with the International Development Select Committee at the Houses of Parliament. Here, he explains what he learned about the important role researchers can play in policy. Read: Academics and select committees by Daniel Casey
Open data could bring enormous benefits to the development of sustainability policy, and when Daniel Casey visited the Defra he found policymakers were aware of its potential. For this blog, Daniel digs into open data and the importance of making sure everyone’s voices are heard. Read: Is open date the future of farming? By Daniel Casey.
You find Danial Casey on Twitter.