Simon Ferrigno

Simon Ferrigno

freelance consultant and writer on cotton and sustainability

Derby, England, United Kingdom
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Freelance writer on cotton and sustainability
South Bank University

About

Simon Ferrigno is a consultant, researcher and writer on sustainability. He is experienced in field research, advising brands and NGOs, and public communication (media, workshops, conferences and education). He has been active in this sector since 1998 and freelance since 2005, completing numerous projects, articles, reports, and a book, 'An Insider's Guide to Cotton & Sustainability' (2012) which went to an updated and expanded new edition in 2020.
He has worked across Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Mali, Senegal, Zambia, South Africa, Uganda) as well as India, Latin America (Peru, Brazil, Paraguay), Turkey, Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) and the USA. He has worked widely in cotton, alongside other crops and products including rice, fruit, and livestock. Simon's approach has always been to look at the output of the whole agricultural system rather than a single crop. As a youngster, Simon worked on mixed farms in France and later as a chef before returning to study, giving him a good all round view of food and farming.
Simon is co-lead on Cotton Diaries and also works on projects with colleagues in Africa, notably Silvere Tovignan, so can easily build teams for specific projects. Since 2019 he has helped run a heritage programme with Belong Nottingham (a social enterprise supporting migrants and refugees mainly of African origin) looking at the story of Africans in Nottingham who travelled with David Livingstone in the 19th Century.
Simon Ferrigno is chair of European Movement Derbyshire and a member of European Movement UK's national council, a Co-op Member Pioneer and a board member of Derby charity Revive Healthy Living Centre. He was volunteer editor in chief for Central Bylines (www.centralbylines.co.uk) from 2021 to 2022, also contributing articles and interviews.

Specialties: strategy design, development agency, editing, english, finance, french, fundraising, leadership, marketing, meeting facilitation, networking, personnel, policy analysis, production, project development, project management, publicity, reports, research, spanish, strategic, supervisory skills, teaching, training materials, tutoring, web site production, writing,

Activity

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Experience

  • Freelance researcher/writer on cotton and sustainability

    Freelance writer on cotton and sustainability

    - Present 14 years 8 months

    Global

    Writing articles and books on cotton, sustainability and related issues (food security, water, soils, etc.); delivering specific projects for clients, running research projects, consulting and advisory work for business and NGOs

  • Consultant

    Organic Farming Systems

    - Present 19 years

    Simon Ferrigno has been working on cotton and sustainability since 2000, with a focus on alternatives such as organic cotton and IPM as well as on researching the issues around cotton, notably the impacts of pesticide and insecticide use on human health and the environment in Africa (Notably with Pesticide Action Network UK). Prior to this, Simon worked more generally on sustainable agriculture policy after returning to study in the mid-1990s. During this time, Simon has taken part in various…

    Simon Ferrigno has been working on cotton and sustainability since 2000, with a focus on alternatives such as organic cotton and IPM as well as on researching the issues around cotton, notably the impacts of pesticide and insecticide use on human health and the environment in Africa (Notably with Pesticide Action Network UK). Prior to this, Simon worked more generally on sustainable agriculture policy after returning to study in the mid-1990s. During this time, Simon has taken part in various projects and campaigns including leading and participating in research, producing a documentary on organic cotton and helping promote market development in the UK and worldwide. Prior to this, Simon worked in community development and music in London after several years as a professional chef and part-time radio DJ in France. Simon's working life began as a farm labourer, including on organic farms in the early 1980s, and his career has thus now come full circle.
    Today, Simon is a freelance researcher and writer working with both public and private clients on the development of sustainable cotton, including helping to develop supply chain partnerships, educate staff and supply chain participants and advising donors and investors.
    Simon is a member of the RITE (Reducing the Impact of Textiles on the Environment) Group steering committee, the Better Cotton Initiative advisory group as well as the Soil Association Textile and Trade group. Simon is also part of two other initiatives, Cotton Conversations ('a learning and choice-support process to improve collaboration and business efficiency') and the Buying Pool, an in-development initiative to help connect small and medium sized brands to farmers and manufacturers in developing countries through group buying. Simon is a regular speaker at international events and recently convened the organic textiles section of the 17th Organic World Congress. Simon is a regular contributor to Ecotextiles News magazine

Education

  • South Bank University

    2002 MSc Education; Diploma; Diploma Sustainability; Environmental Policy; Environment and Development

    -

    Distinction)
    (Dissertation, 'Markets & Lies' focussed on how knowledge gaps and distortions in information circulating in supply chains and to consumers of products from cotton supply chains could affect the ethical decision making of consumers)

  • Lycee Charles De Gaulle, Apt

    Baccalaureat A2 Humanities

    -

    Activities and Societies: Club Unesco, Radio Bigarro, school magazine

    Literature, Languages, History, Geography, Natural Sciences, Philosophy, Sport

  • Lycee Charles DeGaulle

    Baccalaureat A2 Philosophy, literature, languages, history, geography, mathematics, natural sciences, sport

    -

    Activities and Societies: club Unesco, school magazine, radio bigarro

    Baccalaureat A2: Philosophie, lettres, langues (Literature, philosophy, history, geography, mathematics, English, French, Spanish, sport, natural sciences)

  • Lycee Charles de Gaulle

    Baccalaureate A2 Humanities and Languages

    -

    Activities and Societies: Club Unicef; Radio Bigarro

    Philosophy, Literature, Languages, History, Geography, Sport

Volunteer Experience

  • General activities supporting people in need in North Kensington, 1992-93

    Volunteer Bureau

Publications

  • An Insider's Guide to Cotton & Sustainability

    Pontefract

    The Insiders Guide to Cotton and Sustainability is a 136 page A5 that booklet covers the ecological impact of cotton production and the environmental challenges that this presents.

    The guidebook primarily focuses on the details of the systems and standards of sustainable cotton and the importance of research and development into the growth of the organic cotton sector. The book also includes:

    • The social and environmentally problematic over-use of pesticides
    • Cotton…

    The Insiders Guide to Cotton and Sustainability is a 136 page A5 that booklet covers the ecological impact of cotton production and the environmental challenges that this presents.

    The guidebook primarily focuses on the details of the systems and standards of sustainable cotton and the importance of research and development into the growth of the organic cotton sector. The book also includes:

    • The social and environmentally problematic over-use of pesticides
    • Cotton production data 2010-11
    • Biotechnology and genetically-engineered cotton
    • The importance of research and development
    • Mapping the way forward – recommendations
    • The evolution of IPM and agro-ecology.

    See publication

Courses

  • MSc Education for Sustainability

    -

Projects

Languages

  • French

    -

  • Spanish

    -

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