John Ashley graduated in botany from London University, and then applied that knowledge to the field of agriculture for his doctorate from that University, working with the groundnut crop in Uganda. He also holds a degree in psychology from Cambridge. Dr Ashley has engaged in projects which have sought to help governments address current food insecurity, and increase resilience against future food insecurity. He has multi-sector program experience in agriculture and forestry, rural development, water, environment, education, nutrition and social transfers, roads and local government. He has worked in some thirty vulnerable and/or conflict-prone countries for 40 years, especially in Africa and Asia. He was with FAO for five years, and then became an adviser to national governments in interventions funded by international banks or donor agencies. He has conducted research with grain legume and cereal improvement programs in Libya, Kenya, Uganda and Nepal, and taught agronomy, crop physiology, ecology and human nutrition at Makerere University, Uganda.