Rowan joined the team back in 2009 when the north London Learning Centre offered regular ‘Gaia Evenings’ with visiting speakers from around the world. Rowan works across all of Gaia’s programme areas, from fundraising to team support, but is particularly involved in We Feed The World, We Feed The UK and the Seed Sovereignty UK & Ireland Programme. Further afield she has worked with rural communities in Africa using Participatory Video techniques to create advocacy films. Rowan originally studied Social Anthropology & English Literature at The University of Manchester. She lives in Frome in Somerset with her partner and their three sons.

Rowan recommends English Pastoral by James Rebanks – the most beautifully evocative, personal account of why we must return to regenerative, agro-ecological farming practices that work with, not against nature. And Flatpack Democracy, a guide to transforming politics at the local scale, inspired by the proudly politically independent town of Frome, UK.