Brigid has more than 25 years’ experience in smallholder agriculture and food security, having worked firstly as a livestock specialist with the Farming Systems Research Section at the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs before joining the INR in 2003. Brigid has a good understanding of farming systems in South Africa and in other African countries through her involvement with the international Prolinnova network that ‘promotes local innovation’. She engages in a range of agricultural development work including research with smallholder farmers, support to local innovation processes, restoration of degraded landscapes, technical support to livestock farmers, transdisciplinary research, facilitating workshops and capacity building events and convening multi-stakeholder partnerships.