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Stephen Thornhill

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Stephen Thornhill

Lecturer

 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0627-6265
1988 …2026

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Biography

Stephen is a Programme Director, Lecturer and Research Fellow at University College Cork, and a Consultant on agri-food market, policy, food security and sustainability issues. He was formerly Director of Marketing & Economics and Senior Economist at the UK Cereal Authority (now part of AHDB), leading a team of 12 economists and advising the UK agri-food sector and government, including the House of Commons Select Committees, on agri-food marketing and policy issues.

Stephen studied Agricultural Economics at the University of Reading and became Senior Economist and then Director of Marketing and Economics at the UK Cereal Authority, where he was accountable to the UK agri-food industry and UK government, for providing independent, accurate, relevant and timely market intelligence and policy analysis, leading a team of 12 economists and statisticians.

Since 2000 Stephen has been working as a Consultant on agri-food market, policy and development issues, conducting projects around the world for the European Commission, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, African, Caribbean and Pacific Group (OACP), Commonwealth Secretariat, plus many national governments, trade associations, certification bodies, agri-food companies and NGOs, including projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, the Caribbean, the Pacific Isles and South Asia, as well as many European and North American based projects. Examples of projects include: the development of Food Security Certification Guidelines for the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), involving the UN, private sector and NGOs: advising and training the Kazakhstan Ministry of Agriculture on establishing a national agricultural market information system under a World Bank funded project: and leading studies on the impacts of EU Free Trade

Research Interests

My research interests include agrifood market information systems, agri-food trade and farm support policy, ethical and sustainability issues in the agri-food sector including certification systems, bioenergy, including biofuels, food security and measurement and agri-nutrition linkages.

Teaching Activities

Current research interests include climate change impacts, food security, sustainable food systems, globalisation, bioenergy, circular economy, zero waste and agri-food farm support and trade policies. Teaching interests within modules include: Agri-Food Economics and Policy (FE2203), Globalisation, Development and Trade (FE2002), Food and Nutrition Security (FE6016), Data for Development (FE1008), Programme Planning and Management and Impact Evaluation (FE3008 and FE6016), Socio-Economic Research in Development (FE3015), Research Methods and Statistics (FE6513), Sustainable Development, including the Circular Economy (FE1008, FE2002, FE2203, FE3014 and FE4412), Sustainable Food Systems, including Certification Systems (FE1008, FE2002, FE2203, FE3014 and FE4412), Applied Research Projects (FE6516) and Climate Change Issues in the Food System (in all modules, but particularly in FE2002, FE2203, FE3014, FE4412, FE6016, and FE6516).

External positions

Committee, Irish Forum for International Agricultural Development (IFIAD)

1 Sep 2022 → …

Chairperson, Cobh Zero Waste

1 Jan 2017 → …

PhD Supervision

  • Available for PhD supervision

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 1 - No Poverty
    SDG 1 No Poverty
  2. SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
    SDG 2 Zero Hunger
  3. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
  4. SDG 4 - Quality Education
    SDG 4 Quality Education
  5. SDG 5 - Gender Equality
    SDG 5 Gender Equality
  6. SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
    SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
  7. SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
    SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
  8. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  9. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
    SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
  10. SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
    SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
  11. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
    SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  12. SDG 13 - Climate Action
    SDG 13 Climate Action
  13. SDG 14 - Life Below Water
    SDG 14 Life Below Water
  14. SDG 15 - Life on Land
    SDG 15 Life on Land
  15. SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  16. SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
    SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

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