Julie Smith has worked with a wide variety of UK and international organisations involved in social policy and cultural development, with extensive involvement in issues of globalisation and sustainability. She has worked as a researcher, writer and developer in the UK, Europe and Africa, and has experience of developing and managing multi-partner projects in an international context.

Since 2000, she has developed a focus on research and writing on food policy and sustainability. She has an MSc in Food Policy from City University, and is currently undertaking PhD research on retail food markets in the UK at the Countryside and Community Research Institute.