Jonny Hanson

Jonny Hanson is a Research Fellow at Queen's University Belfast's School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work (SSESW), affiliated with the ARK Social Policy Hub. He holds a PhD in snow leopard conservation from the University of Cambridge and has extensive experience in community farming, having established Northern Ireland’s first community-owned farm, Jubilee Farm, through Jubilee Community Benefit Society (2014–2022). He is an Affiliate of the Snow Leopard Conservancy and formerly served as Trustee of the Nyika-Vwaza Trust (2017–2022), focusing on conservation in Northern Malawi.

Jonny’s education includes a background in medieval history and archaeology from Queen’s University Belfast, followed by a master’s in business management and sustainability from Queen’s University Management School. His work explores the intersection of conservation, agriculture, and climate change, emphasizing coexistence strategies between large carnivores and livestock farming communities, as well as environmental peacebuilding in Northern Ireland.

His research interests include social aspects of conservation and agriculture, rewilding policies, community farming models, and the nature-society nexus. He has also authored a popular book on large carnivore reintroductions ('Coexistence: learning to live with lynx, wolves and bears') and produced a documentary on snow leopard conservation in Nepal.

Jonny has received the 2019 Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year award and is a 2023 Nuffield Farming Scholar. He actively engages in media commentary and broadcasting, including appearances on BBC Northern Ireland News, UTV’s 'Rare Breed – A Farming Year' (2021), and podcast series like 'Wolf Connection' and 'Conservation and Science.' His recent projects include the Cultivating Community Farming initiative (2022–2024), funded by the Co-op Foundation, and the ESRC/AHRC Impact Acceleration Account Joint Grant (2025).

Jonny has organized workshops and seminars on topics such as environmental leadership and climate change trust in Northern Ireland, while also advocating for policies that balance ecological and social needs. His work extends to international collaborations, particularly in Nepal and Malawi, addressing conservation challenges through community-centered approaches.