Leading figures in farming science and agri-tech have been recognised in the New Year Honours, with Professor Lorna Dawson awarded a damehood and Professor Simon Pearson receiving an MBE for their contributions to UK agriculture.
Professor Dawson, head of the Centre for Forensic Soil Science at the James Hutton Institute, has been appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to innovation in soil and forensic science, on the recommendation of King Charles.
Over more than 35 years, she has helped transform soil science from an often overlooked discipline into a powerful forensic tool, while also advancing understanding of soils that underpin sustainable land management and food production. Her work has played a central role in strengthening the use of scientific evidence within the criminal justice system in the UK and internationally.
She has advised on more than 200 criminal cases and written over 150 expert witness reports, giving evidence in more than 25 cases including the World’s End murders and the Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry. Her work has been widely credited with establishing soil and plant material as reliable forensic evidence.
Responding to the honour, Professor Dawson said she was “deeply honoured and immensely humbled to be recognised with a Damehood in His Majesty the King’s New Year 2026 Honours List”, adding that it reflected “the extraordinary contributions of the Centre for Forensic Soil Science at the James Hutton Institute and the many dedicated collaborators who work with us”.
She also highlighted the broader relevance of her field, saying: “Soil science may seem an unsung discipline, but its applications — from underpinning sustainable land management, producing safe, nutritious food, to providing robust scientific evidence that supports the criminal justice system — make a real difference to society in the UK and across the world.”
Also recognised in the honours list is Professor Simon Pearson, founding director of the University of Lincoln’s Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT), who has been awarded an MBE for services to agricultural innovation and education. He was nominated by Defra in recognition of his work driving productivity, sustainability and resilience in UK farming.
Professor Pearson, who grew up in a farming family and lives near Boston in Lincolnshire, established LIAT in 2016 at the university’s Riseholme Campus. The institute brings together expertise in artificial intelligence, robotics, engineering, crop science, environmental sustainability, food manufacturing and supply chains, and has become a national exemplar for university-led agri-food innovation.
Under his leadership, the university was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2023 for its contribution to the success and sustainability of the UK’s food and farming industries.
He has also overseen the development of a £2.2m climate-smart glasshouse research facility and helped secure £5m in UK Research and Innovation funding to build an agri-tech innovation cluster with the Universities of Cambridge and East Anglia.
Professor Pearson also led the UK Government’s Independent Review of Automation and Robotics in Horticulture, which informed the industrial strategy and described Lincoln and LIAT as a “leading agri-tech innovation institution”.
Reacting to his MBE, he said: “I am extremely grateful and proud to win this award. My journey started in Lincolnshire as the son of a farming family and continues at the University of Lincoln. The agricultural industry is, and has always been, driven by innovation.”
He added: “We are now trying to accelerate this by bringing to bear science from at least 50 different disciplines, creating new technologies for the next generation of farmers, not least robotics and the use of artificial intelligence. I hope these technologies benefit not only farmers but also consumers and help underpin food security for all.”
Vice chancellor Professor Neal Juster said Professor Pearson’s leadership had transformed the university’s role in the sector. “Simon’s leadership and vision have transformed the role our university plays in the future of food and farming in the UK,” he said, adding that the MBE reflected “our shared ambition to make Lincolnshire a national hub for agri-food innovation”.
The recognition of both Professor Dawson and Professor Pearson in the New Year Honours underlines the increasingly central role of science, technology and innovation in supporting sustainable farming, strengthening public trust in evidence and helping secure the future of UK food production.
