Emma Willis

Emma has worked within UK agriculture for over a decade. She was raised on (and maintains strong ties with) her family farm in the East Midlands, which keeps her technical expertise grounded in practical, real-world farming experience.

As a BASIS- and FACTS-qualified agronomist, Emma has supported farmers on agronomy matters, including integrated pest management (IPM), soil health and nutrient management. She has overseen the production of numerous field crops, including cereals, oilseed rape, pulses, sugar beet, maize and poppies.

As a member of the BASIS Environmental Advisers Register, Emma has expertise in environmental legislation and stewardship. She has helped farms tailor and manage agri-environment schemes to fit their specific farming systems, while balancing environmental goals with productive food production.

After joining AHDB in December 2022, Emma became the Head of Arable Agronomy in August 2025 to:

• Lead the development and delivery of agronomic strategy for AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds


• Manage the Knowledge Transfer (KT) team


• Work closely with AHDB’s research staff and knowledge exchange managers


• Promote effective collaboration across AHDB


• Deliver value to levy payers, particularly by supporting the provision of evidence-based, actionable guidance for UK crop production systems and agronomy practices