Steven Jacobs

I started working in food and farming in the eighties; beginning with market gardening as a sole trader, then moving on to broadscale agriculture with the Co-operative Wholesale Society, and on to retail as the home delivery service manager for Fresh & Wild (a retail chain across London that has since been bought by Wholefoods Market).

I have a diverse set of skills and experiences and a deep understanding of food systems from production practices to distribution logistics to consumer behaviour.

I have worked with a range of organisations including the Permaculture Association where I joined a small team to redevelop the organisation here in the UK. We reinstated the annual national convergence, reinvigorated regional groups and built a new brand that is still in use today.

I’m the founder and coordinator of OF&G’s annual organic food and farming event, the National Organic Conference. I’m a co-founder of the UK Grain Lab, and I have now joined the Shropshire Good Food Partnership as an advisor and task group lead.

I recently became a founding trustee of CyFAN Cymru, a new organisation formed to help further develop the Wales Real Food and Farming Conference – WRFFC / Cynhadledd Gwir Fwyd a Ffermio Cymru – CGFFfC and Food Manifesto Wales.

My role at OF&G involves close working with farmers individually and in groups, also with researchers and a wide range of food businesses to help foster better relationships and build a better business framework for British food and farming.