Paul Burgess is a Professor of Sustainable Agriculture and Agroforestry at Cranfield University, affiliated with the School of Water, Energy and Environment. His career includes a BSc (Hons) in Agriculture from the University of Reading, an MSc in Land and Water Management from Cranfield University, and a PhD in tea agronomy from Cranfield. He joined Cranfield in 1995 and has held roles from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer (2008), Reader (2014), and Professor (2021). His expertise spans agrifood systems, agroforestry, and climate-smart agriculture. Burgess has authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers and led major projects such as the EU AGFORWARD initiative (2014–2018), the UKRI Land Use for Net Zero project, and the BBSRC tea production partnership with Liptons. His research focuses on agroforestry economics, climate resilience, and sustainable land systems. He contributed to the DEFRA agroecology study and carbon sequestration projects with the Ministry of Defence. His awards include a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy since 2007. He collaborates globally, with fieldwork in China, India, and East Africa. Current projects include digital tools for agroforestry (DigitAF) and regenerative tea production systems.







