I am Director of Economics in the Agri-Food and Bio-Sciences Institute (AFBI) and former Head of Agri-Food Economics in the School of Agriculture and Food Science of Queen’s University Belfast.  I have been a member of the Board of the Economic Research Institute of Northern Ireland since 2004. I am currently Chairman of the Advisory Board for the ESRC Rural Evidence Project sponsored by DARD.

I lead an economic research programme on regional, national and international agri-food and rural policy issues and regularly undertake and co-ordinate research for a range of stakeholders in the public, private and NGO sectors.  The programme encompasses ex-ante and ex post policy analysis, competitiveness, agri-environment, rural development and household decision-making.

I have authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles, books, and influential research reports on the regional agri-food sector including the Davis Report on the Competitiveness of the Dairy Sector. I am an expert assessor for the Economic and Social Research Council and have been external examiner for several universities throughout the UK and Ireland. 

I am Chief Editor of EuroChoices, an international journal that aims to improve public understanding of the work and ideas of agri-food and rural resource economists.  In this role I manage a team of four Co-editors: in France, Germany, Hungary and the USA.

I participate extensively in the conferences, seminars and wider affairs of leading learned societies, especially the British Agricultural Economics Society where I have served as National Secretary and currently sit on the Executive Board.