Neil Ward

Neil Ward is a Professor of Rural and Regional Development at the University of East Anglia (UEA), where he also served as Deputy Vice Chancellor and PVC-Academic from 2013 to 2021. He holds a background in geography, having begun his academic career at University College London and held chairs at the University of Leeds and Newcastle University, where he directed the Centre for Rural Economy (2004–2008). His research focuses on rural economic and social change, agricultural policy, environmental controversies, and regional development. He is a co-convenor of UKRI’s AgriFood4NetZero Network+ (2022–2025) and authored Net Zero, Food and Farming: Climate Change and the UK Agri-Food System (Routledge, 2022).

• Education: Geographer by training, with academic roles at UCL, Leeds, and Newcastle.
• Affiliations: School of Environmental Sciences, UEA; Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.
• Roles: Former Deputy Vice Chancellor, UEA; advisor to the Economic and Social Research Council.

His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those addressing poverty reduction, climate action, and sustainable agriculture. He has extensive collaboration networks in environmental policy, rural development, and food systems.

Research Highlights: Recent projects include AgriFood4NetZero, exploring pathways to net-zero agrifood systems, and studies on methane emissions from manure, UK food system resilience, and rural policy. His publications span agricultural economics, climate policy, and interdisciplinary methodologies.

• Awards: Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (2008), Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
• Grants: Led projects funded by UK Research Councils, including AgriFood4NetZero (EPSRC) and EVOLVE initiatives.
• Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the Tyndall Centre and contributes to multidisciplinary networks in climate change and food systems.