Village agriculture in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu; relationship between environment, crops and people; intensification of land use; sustainability of agriculture; responses to food shortages; rural poverty; rural development, root crop agronomy.

I have been engaged in research and development activity in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu for the past 38 years. Five books have been edited or written in the past seven years to capture this experience, with a further two books in press, and another one planned.

Career highlights

Agronomist, PNG Department of Primary Industry (1970-77); Principal Research Horticulturalist, PNG Department of Primary Industry (1978-83); Postgraduate Student, ANU (1983-88); Visiting Fellow (and later Adjunct Senior Fellow), Department of Human Geography, ANU (1989-2008); Self-employed Consultant (1988-2008).