FOOD, FARMING & HEALING OUR WORLD

Globally well-known intellectual and activist, Vandana Shiva has shown ongoing commitment in different fields, making it difficult to label her name under a precise and unique category. At the core of her activism there are: counter-development in favour of people-centered, participatory processes; support to grassroots networks; women rights and ecology. Author of numerous important books and articles, Vandana Shiva has shown a lifetime interest in campaigning against genetic engineering and the negative impact of globalisation, advocating for the crucial importance of preserving and celebrating biodiversity.

Martin Shaw is a mythologist and storyteller. Dr Shaw lived under canvas for four years exploring tiny pockets of the English countryside - claiming to have walked out of this century altogether.

Rob Hopkins is a cofounder of Transition Town Totnes and Transition Network, and the author of The Transition Handbook, The Transition Companion, The Power of Just Doing Stuff, 21 Stories of Transition and most recently, From What Is to What If: unleashing the power of imagination to create the future we want.

Leah Penniman is Co-Director and Farm Manager of Soul Fire Farm with over 20 years of experience as a soil steward and food sovereignty activist.

Chris Smaje has coworked a small farm in Somerset, southwest England, for the last fifteen years.

Abby Rose is Co-producer & Co-host of Farmerama. A farmer and soil health advocate, Abby was named one of 50 New Radicals by The Guardian and Nesta in 2018 for her work developing simple apps that help build ecology, profitability and beauty on farms around the world.

Derek Gow is a farmer and nature conservationist who has played a significant role in the reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver, the water vole and the white stork in England.

Judith D. Schwartz is an author who tells stories to explore and illuminate scientific concepts and cultural nuance. She takes a clear-eyed look at global environmental, economic, and social challenges, and finds insights and solutions in natural systems.

Martin Lee Mueller, PhD, was born and raised in Germany but has found his place in Norway, home both to deep ecology and to great runs of Atlantic salmon – two passions explored at depth in his writing and teaching.

Ben Goldfarb is a journalist, editor, and Beaver Believer.

Gary Paul Nabhan is an Agricultural Ecologist, Ethnobotanist, Ecumenical Franciscan Brother, and author whose work has focused primarily on the interaction of biodiversity and cultural diversity of the arid binational Southwest.

Isabel Losada is a British author who combines humour with a serious look at her subject matter. She has worked as an actress, broadcaster and public speaker as well as a comedian and author. Isabel remains firmly committed to narrative non-fiction & swimming against the tide.

Sy Montgomery (born February 7, 1958), is a naturalist, author and scriptwriter who writes for children as well as adults. She is author of 28 books, including The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness, which was a finalist for the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction and was on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Jane Davidson is the author of #futuregen: Lessons from a Small Country, the story of why Wales was the first country in the world to introduce legislation to protect future generations.

Gillian Burke is a natural history television programme producer and voiceover artist, and has been a co-presenter of the BBC nature series Springwatch since 2017.