Tim Lang

Tim Lang is Professor of Food Policy at City University’s Centre for Food Policy. He is also a commissioner at the Sustainable Development Commission, where he leads work on Natural Resource and Land Use.

After a doctorate in social psychology, Tim was a hill farmer for seven years in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, before turning to the policy aspects of food. He combines research and observation with active policy making, working with public sector, non-profit and civil society organisations.

When Director of the London Food Commission (1984-90), he helped found Sustain, the NGO alliance which now has over 100 member organisations and was chair 1999-2005. He is a frequent advisor / consultant to the World Health Organisation at global and European levels. He has been a special advisor to four Parliamentary agriculture and/or health select committee inquiries (food standards [twice], globalisation and obesity). He is an advisor to the Office of Science & Technology Foresight Obesity programme, and a member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) ‘Food Supply in the 21st Century’ Working Party. In 2005-06, he chaired the Scottish NHS Executive’s Scottish Diet Action Plan Review of food and health in Scotland.

Tim is the author of numerous books, articles and reports. He is co-author, with Erik Millstone, of The Atlas of Food (2003) which won the André Simon award for 2004; with Michael Heasman of Food Wars (2004) and with Yiannis Gabriel of The Unmanageable Consumer (2006). He won the Caroline Walker award in 2002 and in 2003 the BBC Radio 4 Food & Farming Derek Cooper award.