An influential figure in horticulture has stepped down from his position as Chair of The East Malling Trust (EMT) with a clear rallying call for the sector.
Dr Oliver Doubleday, who ran his family’s mixed estate business GHD & Co Ltd for many years, believes horticultural research has an increasingly important role in answering some of the UK’s biggest societal challenges, including food security, climate change and a healthy diet.
The trained molecular biologist is convinced that with regional and national backing and closer collaboration, the East Malling campus can become a global leader in demonstrating high quality academic research and dynamic commercial innovation in practice.
This will create the right conditions and environment to develop important future scientific breakthroughs essential to providing the UK fresh produce market with a competitive edge and in meeting UN Sustainability Goals.
These innovations will build on the excellent historical work of the EMT in the storage of fruit and veg, finding sustainable solutions for protecting crops against pests and diseases, as well as reducing waste and resource input.
“The fragmented nature of horticulture has never delivered the profile it deserves, and this has made securing funding for vital research a difficult task – this needs to change,” explained Oliver, who completed his post-doctoral research in Brussels and at various laboratories, including New York University, Leiden University, and Yale.
“However, I’m now confident that The East Malling Trust has the foundations in place that can overcome some of the fragmentation and, when you combine this with closer scrutiny on sovereign food security and climate change, we are in a strong position to lead the conversation on research going forward.”
Dr Doubleday supports the EMT in continuing to back campus residents, including NIAB, the Natural Resources Institute, and other academic and commercial researchers, who boast a proven track record of bringing new innovations to market.
A striking recent example of success is the release of Malling™ Centenary strawberries, renowned for their quality, yield, and picking efficiency. This groundbreaking strawberry breeding programme continues to thrive at East Malling, following its adoption by the internationally renowned Bayer Crop Science Group.
“The EMT aims to support local and national economies as it supports the translation of research developed by academic institutions and scales it through to SMEs and larger established businesses”, pointed out Oliver.
“There is little doubt in my mind that researchers at East Malling are leaders in entomology, the modelling of pests and diseases, and their world class work in resource efficiency and other disciplines is driving forward new technology, such as protocols that utilise less water to grow higher quality crops.”
Dr Oliver Doubleday involvement with the charity and its wider activity spans nearly four decades, starting in 1990 as Vice Chair of the Apple and Pear Research Council under Sir Colin Spedding.
Later he moved to Chair East Malling Research (EMR) upon the retirement of Hugh Lowe, before being appointed as EMT Chair in 2018, succeeding Professor John Mumford of Imperial College.
Asked about memories of serving at East Malling, Oliver immediately remembers with great affection some of the people he has worked with.
“Being around people like Colin and Hugh was always a pleasure and a constant learning opportunity. The best bit about my time at EMR and EMT was the fantastic variety of different people you got to work with, exploring ideas on how to promote the importance of horticulture in the UK.
“It is common knowledge that advancements in research, innovation, and education in horticulture and food help contribute to the UK’s health and economic wellbeing.”
Oliver predicts that his interest in work at EMT will not end here. “My father lived to 99 and never lost his interest in farming and fruit growing. He also took money off his bookie the day he died. I’ll have to see what I can do to try to match his interests and acumen, let alone his longevity!”
Founded in 1913, The East Malling Trust promotes the advancement of research, innovation and education in horticulture and food, helping contribute to the UK’s health and economic wellbeing.
Karyn Hood, CEO of The EMT, concluded: “Oliver has been a fantastic ambassador for horticulture and a massive driver in our evolution as a charity.
“His deep understanding and knowledge of the sector and the role research plays has boosted the trust’s profile. During his stewardship, the board has secured fresh funding fundamental to our development and in ensuring we play a critical role in supporting the UK’s future food security.”
Dr Oliver Doubleday has been succeeded as Chair by Kevin Attwood, a prominent Kent arable farmer and influential spokesperson for horticulture.
Event
On November 26th, The East Malling Trust will be inviting growers, researchers, horticultural businesses, health and nutrition specialists and policymakers to its Horticulture and Healthy Diets Conference.
The event, which is being held at The Orchards Conference Centre at EMT, will feature keynote addresses from David Dimbleby and Professor Martin Warren, setting the scene for a day of insightful discussion, knowledge sharing, and innovation.
To mark the series of major gatherings, November will be marketed as #UKHorticultureMonth.
For further information, please visit www.eastmallingtrust.org.
Tickets for the conference can be purchased here: cvent.me/9ox5Xn.
