Paul Laird

Paul Laird "joined Earthwatch Institute (Europe) in November 2005 and works with Earthwatch’s corporate partners in the agriculture and forestry sectors, managing programmes with British American Tobacco and Syngenta in particular. As part of Earthwatch’s increasing focus on supporting organisational change in partner companies, these programmes raise awareness of the impacts and dependence of agricultural industries on biodiversity ecosystems, and build capacity to address those issues. Previously he worked with Sheffield Wildlife Trust, Living Earth Foundation, SOS Sahel International, the Kenyan Forest Department and the Forestry Commission.

"Paul is a forester with an MSc in Environmental Management (London University, Distinction, 1995). He has more than twenty years’ experience of managing forestry, agricultural and rural development projects in Africa, mainly with communities in challenging arid environments. Projects and local organisations that he established in Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya continue to thrive and strengthen local capacity and resilience. The main focus of his career has been on sustainable natural resource management as a key strategy for rural livelihoods."

• International Jury (2009), SEED Initiative