About John

John specialises in sustainable landscapes, livelihoods, and community development through innovation and participative action learning.

After a decade as a District Agronomist in Riverina, NSW, John contributed to the cotton industry's development and the Permanent Raised Bed/Controlled Traffic Farming system. He has worked internationally, including in Cambodia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, implementing sustainable farming practices and pioneering projects like remote sensing for range monitoring and resilient rangeland grazing management.

John played a crucial role in the first international "Landcare Approach" project, leading to a global Landcare movement. He coordinated industry Best Management Practice (BMP) Codes of Practice in Queensland horticulture and was a key figure in Barung Landcare Maleny, one of Australia's largest Landcare associations. 

1999/2004: Landcare/Farmcare Development Co-ordinator - Australia (60%) and the

Philippines (40%), funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural

Research (ACIAR) for the Adoption of Sustainable Livelihoods and Conservation Farming

Techniques in Steep Uplands - using a Landcare Approach, in the Philippines & SE Qld

 Member of the ACIAR Concept Development Team and became the Project Landcare

Facilitator/Co-ordinator/Trainer of the International Landcare project: Employed on

behalf of Barung Landcare Association, Maleny. Partners were the Queensland DPI,

University of Queensland and, in the Philippines, the Regional Centre for Graduate

Study and Research in Agriculture SEAMEO/ SEARCA/ SANRAM) at the University of

the Philippines, Los Banos (UPLB) and the World Agroforestry Centre IFCAF.

 The Australian component was entitled “Farmcare- Landcare in Horticulture Qld” - with

GROWCOM for the development of Horticultural industry Best Mgt. Codes of Practice

for Queensland tropical crops, e.g., avocado, strawberry, macadamia, and pineapples.

NB- Included introduction of on- farm Hort. Industry Water Watch monitoring.