Paul Kristiansen is a horticultural scientist and has been associated with the organic indsutry in Australia for almost 20 years. From working in organic markets gardens, herb farms and nurseries, he ventured into research on weed bio-control then macadmia breeding and canopy management. After completing a PhD on weed management in herb and vegetable production, Paul began working as a Lecturer in Agricultural Systems at the University of New England where he teaches introductory agriculture, agricultural ecology, horticulture and organic farming systems. He runs the Organic Research Group at UNE (www.une.edu.au/organic) and involved with post-graduate research on a wide range of topics including adoption of organic farming in northern Thailand, soil carbon in organic vegetable production, paddock trees and their effects on soil nematodes, biofertilisers, organic policy making processes and organic/low-input supply chain development systems.

Paul has been active in the Australian organic industry through his involvement with the Organic Federation of Australia and researching the Australian Organic Market Report in 2008 and 2010. On an international level, he was lead editor and co-author of three chapters of Organic Agriculture: A Global Perspective (2006, CSIRO Publishing), and has links with organic researchers and industry in Burma, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, Germany and Slovakia. Though these contacts, and his work with a diverese group of international post-graduate students, Paul has gained a strong interest in supporting the development of skills and capacity for academic research and communication among students and staff in low-income countries.