Professor David Rose
Elizabeth Creak Chair in Sustainable Agricultural Change
Always happy to hear from possible PhD students who want to work on topics like: * Mental Health in Farming, *Technology adoption, *Human behaviour change and extension, *Responsible innovation and just transitions etc.
Director of the Centre for Social Science, ÁÕÀÅÊÓÆµ - Lead of the Engaging for Change research group.
Bachelors, Masters, and PhD from the University of Cambridge. 2023 Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar, Cornell University. 80+ academic publications since 2014. Our work helps farmers and farming stakeholders (e.g. advisers, supply chain actors) with the challenges of 'Change'. This includes work on human behaviour change, technology adoption, and extension. We are also interested in understanding what 'just' and 'sustainable' agricultural and food transitions look like and particularly how to include human and non-human stakeholders in decision-making. Change, of course, can be stressful and we undertake research to help farmers, advisers, and other 'accidental counsellors', with their mental wellbeing.
Consultancy experience for FAO, OECD, AHDB, Welsh Government, Defra etc - always willing to take on new work, including research, external reviewing, examining, and speaker/chairing engagements. Track record of impact, including three invitations to give evidence in Parliament, appearances on BBC TV and Radio, TV and online documentaries, major newspapers such as The Times, The Telegraph, and the Guardian, farming press, and international outlets like CNN and Forbes Magazine. Oxford Union speaker. Editor at the Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension.
Academic Department: Agriculture and Environment
Research: Centre for Social Science
Office: 66 Main Building
Research profile:
Publications
Other publications
- David Rose (2026) Creative teaching methods for imagining the future of technology in farming: storytelling for responsible transitions Advancements in Agricultural Development 7
- Jennifer Howse; David Rose; Katharina Watson; Damian Maye; Lisa Morgans (2026) A critical evaluation of the potential of an online agricultural forum as a space for supporting farmer well-being Journal of Rural Studies 123
- Kirsten Ayris, Anna Jackman, Alice Mauchline, David Christian Rose (2026) A Brave New World: Emerging Technology Narratives of Agricultural Robotics in UK Media and Their Implications for Responsible Innovation Sociologia Ruralis 66
- David Christian Rose, Joanne Sharpe, Gemma Charlton (2026) Embracing the social sciences, arts, and humanities in inter-disciplinary precision dairy research: opening-up conversations beyond adoption and techno-optimism Frontiers in Animal Science
- Jorie Knook, Nicky Stanley-Clarke, Amanda Hay, Sinéad Flannery, David Christian Rose, Kendra Janssen (2026) Mental health and wellbeing offerings in tertiary agricultural education: a content analysis The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Michael Goodman, Adele Wylie, Alexandra Sexton, Katharine Lewis, David Rose, Tom Macmillan, Louise Manning (2025) Analysis of the Narrative Grammars of Cultured Meat in UK Food and Farming Media The International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food 30
- David Christian Rose, Juliette Schillings, Eden Keily-Thurstain (2025) An ethical framework for the responsible use of technology in organic dairy farming
- Judith Tsouvalis, Charlotte Burns, Jose Fajardo-Escoffie, David Christian Rose, Sue Hartley, Ruth Little (2025) Co-Design in Practice: Bringing STS to Post-Brexit Agricultural Policy Science, Technology & Human Values
- Emma Nicole Taylor-Holt, Sam Strain, Nicholas Mark Taylor, Sitira Williams, Nicholas Wheelhouse, James Hanks, Peter Guy Orpin, David C. Rose, Abel Bulamu Ekiri (2025) Utilising on-farm risk assessment data for the management of Johne’s disease in dairy cattle in Northern Ireland Preventive Veterinary Medicine 241
- Laurens Klerkx; David Rose (2025) Agriculture 4.0 Elgar Encyclopedia of Food and Society
- David Rose; Kirsten Ayris (2025) Automation and food Elgar Encyclopedia of Food and Society
- Rosie Morrison, James Hanks, Peter Orpin, Sam Strain, Emma Taylor, David Christian Rose (2024) Challenges for the management of Johne’s Disease in the UK: expectation management, space,‘free riding’, and vet-farmer communication Preventive Veterinary Medicine 231
- David Christian Rose, Juliette Schillings, James Breen, Rosie Morrison (2024) A RESET of dairy farmer animal health planning behaviour: symbiotic advisory relationships and knowledge brokering in HerdAdvance Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- MacMillan, Tom, Lewis, Katherine, Dooley, John, Morgans, Lisa, Sexton, Alexandra, Ali, Mustafa, Allan, Scott, Argyle, Iain, Dunsford, Illtud, Goodman, Michael, Lynch, John, Manning, Louise, Ranawana, Viren, Rose, David, Rothman, Rachael, Sibly, Will, Vasilopoulos, Anastasios and Wylie, Adele (2024) Culture Clash? What cultured meat could mean for UK farming
- PD Hurley, DC Rose, PJ Burgess, JT Staley (2024) Barriers and enablers to uptake of agroecological and regenerative practices, and stakeholder views towards ‘living labs’
- Ruth Little, Judith Tsouvalis, José Luis Fajardo Escoffié, Susan E. Hartley, David Christian Rose (2024) Ideals and practicalities of policy co-design – Developing England’s post-Brexit Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes Land Use Policy
- Judith Tsouvalis, Ruth Little, José Fajardo-Escoffie, Susan E. Hartley, David Christian Rose, Bianca Ambrose-Oji, Auvikki de Boon, Siobhan Maderson, Julie Urquhart (2024) Co-design in policy development: Leveraging opportunities, addressing challenges, and proposing solutions for inclusive governance - Lessons from England Land Use Policy 150
- Caroline Nye, Rebecca Wheeler, David Rose, Florence Becot, Mark Holton, Duška Kneževi? Ho?evar, Jorie Knook, Sarah Kyle, Maria Partalidou, Mark Riley, Artur Steiner, Hannah Whitley (2024) Mental health, well-being and resilience in agricultural areas: A research agenda for the Global North Journal of Rural Studies 114
- Kirsten Ayris; Anna Jackman; Alice Mauchline; David Christian Rose (2024) Exploring inclusion in UK agricultural robotics development: who, how, and why? Agriculture and Human Values
- Auvikki de Boon; Camilla Sandström; David Christian Rose (2024) To adapt or not to adapt, that is the question. Examining farmers’ perceived adaptive capacity and willingness to adapt to sustainability transitions Journal of Rural Studies
- Juliette Schillings; Richard Bennett; Françoise Wemelsfelder; David C Rose (2023) Digital Livestock Technologies as boundary objects: Investigating impacts on farm management and animal welfare Animal Welfare
- Louise Manning; John J. Dooley; Illtud Dunsford; Michael K. Goodman; Tom C. MacMillan; Lisa C. Morgans; David C. Rose; Alexandra E. Sexton (2023) Threat or opportunity? An analysis of perceptions of cultured meat in the UK farming sector Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
- Rosie Morrison; David Christian Rose (2023) Factors that influence dairy farmers’ decisions to implement Johne’s Disease control practices: A systematic review Preventive Veterinary Medicine
- David Christian Rose; Fergal Bradley; Deirdre O’Connor; Jilly Hall; Rosie Morrison; Martin Mulkerrins; Caroline Nye; Tomás Russell (2023) The mental wellbeing of young farmers in Ireland and the UK: driving factors, help-seeking, and support Scottish Geographical Journal
- Matthew Howard, Sam Wane, Lyudmila Mihaylova, David Christian Rose, Prabhakar Ray, Louise Manning, Elizabeth Sklar (2023) Training the UK Agri-food Sector to Employ Robotics and Autonomous Systems
- Kirsten Ayris; Eliot Dixon; Alice Mauchline; David Christian Rose (2023) Investigating stakeholder participation in UK agricultural robotics development Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Trustworthy Autonomous Systems
- David Christian Rose; Anna Barkemeyer; Auvikki de Boon; Catherine Price; Dannielle Roche (2023) The old, the new, or the old made new? Everyday counter-narratives of the so-called fourth agricultural revolution Agriculture and Human Values
- Georgia Daykin; Marcelo A. Aizen; Luke G. Barrett; Lewis J Bartlett; Péter Batáry; Lucas A. Garibaldi; Ali Güncan; Sridhar Gutam; Bea Maas; Jayalakshmi Mitnala et al. (2023) AgroEcoList 1.0: A checklist to improve reporting standards in ecological research in agriculture PLoS One
- Auvikki de Boon; Sabrina Dressel; Camilla Sandström; David Christian Rose (2023) A psychometric approach to assess justice perceptions in support of the governance of agricultural sustainability transitions Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions
- J. Schillings; R. Bennett; D.C. Rose (2023) Perceptions of farming stakeholders towards automating dairy cattle mobility and body condition scoring in farm assurance schemes Animal
- David Christian Rose; Juliette Schillings; Richard Bennett (2023) Managing end-user participation for the adoption of digital livestock technologies: expectations, performance, relationships, and support Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Charlotte-Anne Chivers; Katie Bliss; Auvikki de Boon; Lydia Lishman; Juliette Schillings; Rachel Smith; David Christian Rose (2023) Videos and podcasts for delivering agricultural extension: achieving credibility, relevance, legitimacy and accessibility Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- David Christian Rose; Hannah Budge; Michael Carolan; Jilly Hall; Conor Hammersley; Jorie Knook; Matt Lobley; Caroline Nye; Alexis O'Reilly; Faye Shortland et al. (2023) Farming wellbeing through and beyond COVID?19: Stressors, gender differences and landscapes of support Sociologia Ruralis
- Faye Shortland; Jilly Hall; Paul Hurley; Ruth Little; Caroline Nye; Matt Lobley; David Christian Rose (2023) Landscapes of support for farming mental health: Adaptability in the face of crisis Sociologia Ruralis
- Kirsten Ayris, David Christian Rose (2023) Social and ethical considerations for agricultural robotics
- A. de Boon, S. Dressel, C. Sandström, D.C. Rose (2022) Addressing the political nature of agricultural sustainability transitions: lessons for governance
- David Christian Rose, Chris Tyler (2022) The Value of Research Evidence for Policy
- Auvikki de Boon, Camilla Sandstrom, David Christian Rose (2022) Perceived legitimacy of agricultural transitions and implications for governance. Lessons learned from England’s post-Brexit agricultural transition Land Use Policy
- Simon Fielke et al. (2022) A call to expand disciplinary boundaries so that social scientific imagination and practice are central to quests for ‘responsible’ digital agri?food innovation Sociologia Ruralis
- Hannah Barrett; David Christian Rose (2022) Perceptions of the Fourth Agricultural Revolution: What’s In, What’s Out, and What Consequences are Anticipated? Sociologia Ruralis
- Julie Ingram et al. (2022) What are the priority research questions for digital agriculture? Land Use Policy
- Paul Hurley, Jessica Lyon, Jilly Hall, Ruth Little, Judith Tsouvalis, Veronica White, David Christian Rose (2022) Co?designing the environmental land management scheme in England: The why, who and how of engaging ‘harder to reach’ stakeholders People and Nature
- Melf-Hinrich Ehlers, Robert Finger, Nadja El Benni, Alexander Gocht, Claus Aage Grøn Sørensen, Markus Gusset, Catherine Pfeifer, Krijn Poppe, Áine Regan, David Christian Rose, Sjaak Wolfert, Robert Huber (2022) Scenarios for European agricultural policymaking in the era of digitalisation Agricultural Systems
- Auvikki de Boon; Camilla Sandström; David Christian Rose (2022) Governing agricultural innovation: A comprehensive framework to underpin sustainable transitions Journal of Rural Studies
- Marina Best; Robyn Irvine; Longji Bako; Geoffroy Citegetse; Alison Field; Dilys Roe; David Rose Rose; Jonathan Spencer (2022) 6. Identifying Stakeholders and Collaborating with Communities
- Tatsuya Amano; Longji Aaron Bako; Marina Best; Nicolas Boenisch; Philipp Boersch-Supan; Des Browne; Yvonne M Buckley; Mark Burgman; Marc Cadotte et al. (2022) 12. Transforming Practice
- David Christian Rose; David Christian Rose; Faye Shortland; Jilly Hall; Paul Hurley; Ruth Little; Caroline Nye; Matt Lobley (2022) The impact of COVID-19 on farmers’ mental health: a case study of the UK Journal of Agromedicine
- Rose, D. C., Bhattacharya, M., de Boon, A., Dhulipala, R. K., Price, C., Schillings, J. (2022) The fourth agricultural revolution: technological developments in primary food production
- David Christian Rose, Mondira Bhattacharya (2022) Adoption of autonomous robots in the soft fruit sector: grower perspectives in the UK Smart Agricultural Technology
- Juliette Schillings, Richard Bennett, David Christian Rose (2021) Animal welfare and other ethical implications of Precision Livestock Farming technology CABI Agriculture & Bioscience
- Tommaso Jucker, Tatsuya Amano, Alexandra Bell, Emma E. Garnett, Jan Laurens Geffert, Miriam K. Guth, Andrew Hacket-Pain, Sarah H. Luke, Hannah S. Mumby, Matheus Nunes, Tim Rademacher, David C. Rose, Judith Schleicher, Benno I. Simmons, Aiora Zabala, Nibedita Mukherjee (2021) Steps to diversify priority?setting research in conservation: reflections on de Gracia 2021 Conservation Biology
- J. Lowenberg-DeBoer, K. Behrendt, M. Canavari, M.-H. Ehlers, A. Gabriel, I. Huang, S. Kopfinger, R. Lenain, A. Meyer-Aurich, G. Milics, K. Oluseyi Olagunju , S.M. Pedersen, D. Rose, O. Spykman , B. Tisseyre , I. Zdráhal (2021) 85. The impact of regulation on autonomous crop equipment in Europe Precision Agriculture '21
- James Lowenberg-DeBoer, Karl Behrendt, Melf-Hinrich Ehlers, Carl Dillon, Andreas Gabriel, Iona Yuelu Huang, Ian Kumwenda, Tyler Mark, Andreas Meyer-Aurich, Gabor Milics, Kehinde Oluseyi Olagunju, Søren Marcus Pedersen, Jordan Shockley, David Rose (2021) Lessons to be learned in adoption of autonomous equipment for field crops Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy
- David Christian Rose; Jessica Lyon; Auvikki de Boon; Marc Hanheide; Simon Pearson (2021) Responsible development of autonomous robotics in agriculture Nature Food
- Juliette Schillings, Richard Bennett, David Christian Rose (2021) Exploring the Potential of Precision Livestock Farming Technologies to Help Address Farm Animal Welfare Frontiers in Animal Science
- Mauro Vigani, Julie Urquhart, Jasmine Elizabeth Black, Robert Berry, Janet Dwyer, David Christian Rose (2021) Post?Brexit Policies for a Resilient Arable Farming Sector in England Eurochoices
- David Christian Rose, Rebecca Wheeler, Michael Winter, Matt Lobley, Charlotte-Anne Chivers (2021) Agriculture 4.0: Making it work for people, production, and the planet Land Use Policy
- Syed Amir Manzoor, Geoffrey Griffiths,David Christian Rose, Martin Lukac (2021) The Return of Wooded Landscapes in Wales: An Exploration of Possible Post-Brexit Futures Land
- Rose, D. C., Despot-Belmonte, K., Pollard, J. A., Shears, O., Robertson, R. J (2021) Making an impact: how to design relevant and usable decision support systems for conservationClosing the Knowledge-Implementation Gap in Conservation Science
- Rebecca M. Jarvis, Stephanie B. Borrelle, Natalie J. Forsdick, Katharina-Victoria Pérez-Hämmerle, Natalie S. Dubois, Sean R. Griffin, Angela Recalde-Salas, Falko Buschke (2020) Navigating spaces between conservation research and practice: Are we making progress? Ecological Solutions and Evidence
- David Christian Rose, Caroline Kenny, Abbi Hobbs, Chris Tyler (2020) Improving the use of evidence in legislatures: the case of the UK Parliament Evidence & Policy
- David Christian Rose, Megan Evans, Rebecca Jarvis (2020) Effective engagement of conservation scientists with decision-makers
- Laurens Klerkx, David Christian Rose (2020) Dealing with the game-changing technologies of Agriculture 4.0: How do we manage diversity and responsibility in food system transition pathways? Global Food Security
- David C. Rose, William J. Sutherland, Andrew P. Barnes, Fiona Borthwick, Charles Ffoulkes, Clare Hall, Jon M. Moorby, Phillipa Nicholas-Davies, Susan Twining, Lynn V. Dicks (2019) Integrated farm management for sustainable agriculture: Lessons for knowledge exchange and policy Land Use Policy
- Mukherjee, N.; Rose, D.C.; Everard, M.; Geneletti, D.; Sutherland, W.J. (2019) Response to Expanding the role of social science in conservation through an engagement with philosophy, methodology and methods Methods in Ecology and Evolution
- David Christian Rose, Tatsuya Amano, Juan P. González-Varo, Nibedita Mukherjee, Rebecca J. Robertson, Benno I. Simmons, Hannah S. Wauchope, William J. Sutherland (2019) Calling for a new agenda for conservation science to create evidence-informed policy Biological Conservation
- David Christian Rose (2019) Making an impact on Parliament: advice for the agricultural community International Journal of Agricultural Management
- Young, J.C.; Rose, D.C.; Mumby, H.S.; Benitez-Capistros, F.; Derrick, C.J.; Finch, T.; Garcia, C.; Home, C.; Marwaha, E.; Morgans, C. et al. (2018) A methodological guide to using and reporting on interviews in conservation science research Methods in Ecology and Evolution
- David Christian Rose (2018) Avoiding a Post-truth World: Embracing Post-normal Conservation Conservation & Society
- Rose, D.C.; Keating, C.; Vrain, E.; Morris, C. (2018) Beyond individuals: Toward a “distributed” approach to farmer decision-making behavior Food and Energy Security
- Rose, D.C.; Shackelford, G.; Sutherland, W.J. (2018) Co-assessment for fundamental change: A reply to Salomaa Oryx
- Rose, D.C.; Morris, C.; Lobley, M.; Winter, M.; Sutherland, W.J.; Dicks, L.V. (2018) Exploring the spatialities of technological and user re-scripting: The case of decision support tools in UK agriculture Geoforum
- David Christian Rose, Toby Bruce (2018) Finding the right connection: What makes a successful decision support system? Food and Energy Security
- Rose, D.C.; Brotherton, P.N.M.; Owens, S.; Pryke, T. (2018) Honest advocacy for nature: presenting a persuasive narrative for conservation Biodiversity and Conservation
- Rose, D.C.; Parker, C.; Fodey, J.; Park, C.; Sutherland, W.J.; Dicks, L.V. (2018) Involving stakeholders in agricultural decision support systems: Improving user-centred design International Journal of Agricultural Management
- Jucker, T.; Wintle, B.; Shackelford, G.; Bocquillon, P.; Geffert, J.L.; Kasoar, T.; Kovacs, E.; Mumby, H.S.; Orland, C.; Schleicher, J. et al. (2018) Ten-year assessment of the 100 priority questions for global biodiversity conservation Conservation Biology
- Rose, D.C.; Sutherland, W.J.; Amano, T.; González-Varo, J.P.; Robertson, R.J.; Simmons, B.I.; Wauchope, H.S.; Kovacs, E.; Durán, A.P.; Vadrot, A.B.M. et al. (2018) The major barriers to evidence-informed conservation policy and possible solutions Conservation Letters
- Dicks, L.V.; Rose, D.C.; Ang, F.; Aston, S.; Birch, A.N.E.; Boatman, N.; Bowles, E.L.; Chadwick, D.; Dinsdale, A.; Durham, S. et al. (2018) What agricultural practices are most likely to deliver “sustainable intensification” in the UK? Food and Energy Security
- David Christian Rose, Jason Chilvers (2018) Agriculture 4.0: Broadening Responsible Innovation in an Era of Smart Farming Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
- James Pollard, David Christian Rose (2018) Lightning Rods, Earthquakes, and Regional Identities: Towards a Multi-Scale Framework of Assessing Fracking Risk Perception Risk Analysis
- David Christian Rose, C. Keating, C. Morris (2018) Understand how to influence farmers' decision-making behaviour
- Caroline Kenny, David Christian Rose, Abbi Hobbs, Chris Tyler, Jason Blackstock (2018) The role of research in the UK Parliament
- William J. Sutherland, Gorm Shackelford, David Christian Rose (2017) Collaborating with communities: co-production or co-assessment? Oryx
- David C. Rose, Prue Addison, Malcolm Ausden, Leon Bennun, Craig Mills, Stephanie A. L. O’Donnell, Caroline Parker, Melanie Ryan, Lauren Weatherdon, Katherine Despot-Belmonte, William J. Sutherland, Rebecca J. Robertson (2017) Decision support tools in conservation: a workshop to improve user-centred design RIO
- Weatherdon, L.V.; Appeltans, W.; Bowles-Newark, N.; Brooks, T.M.; Davis, F.E.; Despot-Belmonte, K.; Fletcher, S.; Garilao, C.; Hilton-Taylor, C.; Hirsch, T. et al. (2017) Blueprints of effective biodiversity and conservation knowledge products that support marine policy Frontiers in Marine Science
- Rose, D.C.; Mukherjee, N.; Simmons, B.I.; Tew, E.R.; Robertson, R.J.; Vadrot, A.B.M.; Doubleday, R.; Sutherland, W.J. (2017) Policy windows for the environment: Tips for improving the uptake of scientific knowledge Environmental Science and Policy
- David Christian Rose (2017) The use of research in the UK Parliament:Lessons for conservation scientists BES Bulletin
- Rose, D.C.; Sutherland, W.J.; Parker, C.; Lobley, M.; Winter, M.; Morris, C.; Twining, S.; Ffoulkes, C.; Amano, T.; Dicks, L.V. (2016) Decision support tools for agriculture: Towards effective design and delivery Agricultural Systems
- David Christian Rose (2015) Policy: Climate advisers must be astute Nature
- David Christian Rose (2015) The case for policy-relevant conservation science Conservation Biology
- David Christian Rose (2014) Boundary work Nature Climate Change
- David Christian Rose (2014) Five ways to enhance the impact of climate science Nature Climate Change
Please get in touch at any time to discuss PhD and other research opportunities.
Research projects
- Fulfilling the 'promise of precision'? A user-centred study of sensor technology for farm animal welfare - Second Supervisor
- Agri-Wellbeing Alliance - what works - Director of Study
- Backing British Farmers: supporting mental health - Second Supervisor
- Carbon farming: co-creation for behavioural change within a supportive AKIS - Director of Study
- Cultured meat: threat or opportunity - Researcher
- Mental health education in agricultural universities - Researcher
- Optifarm: the role of LLMs in extension - Researcher
- Stakeholder inclusion in UK agricultural innovation - Lead
- The future of farming: responsible innovation of agricultural robotics - Second Supervisor
Modules
You can contact Professor David Rose if you would like to discuss any of the following course modules: