New scholarship will support innovations that put sustainability at their core

LEAF has announced the launch of The LEAF Caroline Drummond Scholarship for Innovation in Sustainability.

Caroline Drummond was founding chief executive of LEAF

Caroline Drummond was founding chief executive of LEAF

The scholarship is named in recognition of the enormous legacy of LEAF’s founder and former chief executive, Caroline Drummond, who led the organisation from its inception in 1991 until her death in May last year.

The scholarship will specifically support innovations that are judged by a panel of specialists as having the potential to facilitate the adoption of commercially and environmentally sustainable farming and food production, at pace and scale.

The scholarship, which will open for applications in March 2024, will support individuals and organisations to carry out pioneering research and innovative projects which advance more sustainable farming practices, that can be adopted and replicated at scale.

Applications will be open to researchers or developers from universities, institutes, commercial companies and startup enterprises, farmers and individuals from relevant non-profit organisations and charities.

Philip Wynn, LEAF chair, said: “Caroline was the driving force behind LEAF for over 30 years. She was an inspirational thinker, innovator, collaborator, and communicator. She was a catalyst of great change and pivotal in driving forward more sustainable, regenerative and climate positive farming - both in the UK and globally.

“Her work was driven by research and the development of novel ideas and practical approaches to accelerate the uptake of more sustainable farming through Integrated Farm Management. We are delighted to have set up this new scholarship in her name.

”By supporting scholars, we will further add to the body of research contributing to the more widespread practice of IFM at an increasingly global scale along with its ongoing development in addressing current climate change challenges.”

LEAF said it is seeking partners who share Drummond’s vision of a commercially vibrant farming sector with sustainability at its core, to support the future development of the scholarship fund and the work of LEAF. 

Further details of The LEAF Caroline Drummond Scholarship will be announced at LEAF’s Annual Conference on 1 February 2024.

 

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