Caleb Bram

Interests and expertise

I am a fourth-year student studying Biology (MBiol) at the University of Oxford, under the supervision of Professor Nathalie Seddon and Dr William Thompson for my Master’s research. My project is an investigation into the environmental and economic trade-offs of coffee agroforestry in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, where I will be working with farmers to collect both biophysical and socio-economic data in order to measure the performance of agroforests against key environmental and economic indicators. With this project I intend to contribute to a wider understanding of the relationship between biodiversity, productivity, and profitability in agroforestry systems. It will also hopefully provide insights for determining the feasibility of coffee agroforestry as a sustainable solution in the region which can provide both environmental and economic benefits without increasing the pressure to convert natural habitat to farmland, which has widespread implications for the future of biodiversity conservation, climate change, and rural development.

Background

Prior to joining NbSI, I gained experience working as a research intern for the Oxford Partnership for Operationalising the Conservation Hierarchy (OxPOCH). This research group aimed to use the University as a testbed for implementing the Conservation Hierarchy framework. My role included producing a report which analysed and compared the biodiversity and climate strategies of 11 Universities partnered with Oxford, and informing on best practices for these institutions to meet their respective sustainability goals in an effective way. Outside of research, I’ve enjoyed student roles such as being JCR President at Hertford College, and currently as Treasurer for the Oxford Society for International Development (OxSID).