Simon Platten has a Ph.D. in Environmental Anthropology from the university of Kent. His research concerns the social dynamics of small-scale cultivation in the mountains and upland plateau of Minahasa, Indonesia. This focussed upon planting patterns and the interface between moral and market economies. In the UK he maintains a research interest in small-scale cultivation. Most recently he has been developing research with local allotment holders in Kent. He is interested in at patterns of germplasm exchange, the maintenance of landrace diversity, and the impact of homegardens upon household economy.