Dr Barling is head of the Centre for Agriculture, Food and Environmental Management at the University of Hertfordshire. His research focuses on food policy, food security and sustainability, and the governance of the agri-food sector. He is co-author of Food Policy: integrating, health, environment and society (Oxford University Press, 2009) and co-editor of Ethical Traceability and Communicating Food (Springer, 2008). He has acted as an advisor and consultant to: UNEP, European Commission DG SANCO, European Parliament, UK Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, the Scottish Government, and a number of other Governmental and non-governmental bodies. He is a trustee of Sustain the UK NGO alliance for better food and farming.