My children say I am like the Lorax because I try and save trees. I like that description.“
I am not quite sure when my interest in environmental issues all started. It must have been before I became a vegetarian at the age of 13 – ‘just a phase’ according to my mum – but one that has lasted a very (very) long time.
I read the book ‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carson in my late teens, and decided that was it – I wanted to do my part in ensuring the world didn’t end up a pesticide-ridden, silent earth, devoid of bird life, devoid of life itself. So I took a BSc in Environmental Science, followed by a MSc in Environmental Management and Policy, then joined a large environmental consultancy in London for a number of years.
Then about 15 years ago, we did the big move down to Dorset. There I joined Efeca, a micro Dorset based natural resources sustainability firm, focussing on responsible sourcing and sustainable supply chains of agricultural commodities and forest risk commodities such as timber, palm oil, soy, coffee, sugarcane and cocoa.
We provide advice and support to a wide range of public and private sector clients to develop, implement, monitor, evaluate and report on national and international policies, regulations and private sector commitments both voluntary and mandatory, on the sustainable and legal sourcing of natural resources.
These have a focus on agricultural and forest commodities including palm oil, soya, timber, rubber, cattle, sugar, coffee, cocoa and carbon, as well as more widely reaching topics such as nature and biodiversity, climate change, social issues and deforestation. We became B Corp certified in 2023.
