Neil studied soil science at Newcastle University, where he graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, with post-grad studies majoring in crop ecology, eco-system modelling and soil microbiology. He started a farm consultancy in 1986 that has been actively engaged on farming, food and nutrition projects around the world. Neil’s involvement with agricultural soil carbon featured in the finals of the COP26 Climate Challenge Cup and he is technical lead on the Good Soil Guide, an online reference and knowledge-sharing platform for farmers sponsored by Yorkshire Water, which currently has subscribers in over forty countries.