Rate My Professor Laurence Smith

Laurence Smith is an Associate Professor in Agricultural Systems in the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development at the University of Reading. He holds a PhD in Agricultural System Modelling from Cranfield University, awarded in 2017, and a first-class BSc (Hons) in Organic Agriculture from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, in 2007. Smith's career trajectory includes serving as Lecturer in Agroecology at the Royal Agricultural University from 2019 to 2021, Senior Researcher at The Organic Research Centre from 2012 to 2019, Researcher at the same centre from 2008 to 2012, and Organic Market Gardener and Horticulture Tutor at Ruskin Mill Trust from 2007 to 2008. He also undertook a researcher role at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in 2021.

His research focuses on agricultural system modelling, sustainability assessments of agroforestry and food systems, organic agriculture, greenhouse gas impacts from farming practices, environmental land management, grazing systems, and food system transitions. As Research Division Lead for Agri-Food Economics and Social Science at the University of Reading, Smith coordinates interdisciplinary efforts on food system sustainability. He leads the EU-funded Horizon 2020 PATHWAYS project (2021–2026), which examines trade-offs and synergies in livestock systems for sustainability and resilience. Additional funding successes include Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnerships for embedding rigorous sustainability assessments in agricultural businesses. Smith's scholarship features prominent publications such as 'The greenhouse gas impacts of converting food production in England and Wales to organic methods' (Nature Communications, 2019), highlighting potential emission increases from widespread organic conversion; 'Global option space for organic agriculture is delimited by nitrogen availability' (Nature Food, 2021); 'Assessing the multidimensional elements of sustainability in European agroforestry systems' (Agricultural Systems, 2022); and contributions to sustainable intensification practices in the UK (Food and Energy Security, 2019). His work influences policy and practice on net-zero agriculture, agroforestry integration, and organic viability, with applications in projects promoting tree planting on farms and rumen emission mitigation strategies. Smith convenes teaching modules including Agriculture in Practice 1 and 2, emphasizing practical sustainability in farm management.