With a background in science and engineering, James Ward tends to think in numbers, applying simple mathematical models to everything from global energy supplies to backyard food gardens. In fact, it was his work on the impending global energy shortage that led him to permaculture, and in turn has led him to investigate local food systems as a positive response to energy descent.
At UniSA’s Urban Ag Lab, he is actively researching ways to make edible gardens more effective at reducing living costs through optimising the mix of crops and poultry and adopting water-efficient practices.