Director General for Food, Farming and Biosecurity, Defra

Policy Leaders Fellow Alumnus, Centre for Science and Policy

David Kennedy was appointed as Director General for Food, Farming, Animal and Plant Health (subsequently re-titled DG for Food, Farming and Biosecurity) at Defra in January 2017. Previously he was the UK Department for International Development’s first Director General for Economic Development.

David previously worked on development finance, strategy and investment at the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He was also the founding Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change, an independent advisory body to the UK Government and Devolved Administrations.

He has a PhD in economics from the London School of Economics.