PROGRAMME STRATEGIST  |  AGRICULTURE  •  FINANCE  •  POLICY

Dr. Nancy R. Irwin

Scientist and programme strategist working where policy meets reality.

I design and steer programmes across agriculture and finance so they work in practice.

Most programmes don’t fail because of effort.
They fail because the design doesn’t match reality.

Work includes programmes with MDF, DFAT, USAID, GSMA, and the PNG Investment Promotion Authority
Dr. Nancy R. Irwin
Dr. Nancy Irwin presenting at APEC Guangzhou 2026

APEC presenter on green and sustainable investment (PNG IPA)

What I do

Complex programmes fail at the seam between design and delivery. That is where I work.

  • Design programmes that function under real-world conditions
  • Align finance, policy, and delivery so they pull in the same direction
  • Close the gap between plans and what actually happens on the ground

THE RESULT

Programmes that deliver. Not just spend the budget.

Why work with me

I work where policy, finance, and delivery meet and where most programmes quietly break.

  • Authored the PNG Vanilla Standard and Export Guide with UNCTAD and 33 ministries, which was adopted into national law
  • Co-founded Kamapim Ltd, a vanilla and cocoa export company operating in PNG for seven years
  • Delivered programmes in partnership with DFAT, MDF, and USAID

30,000+

Farmers trained in PNG

10,000+

People accessing finance for the first time

14

Peer-reviewed papers published

7

Years founding and leading Kamapim Ltd in PNG

Selected work

AGRICULTURAL FINANCE  •  PNG

PNG Agricultural Credit Scoring System

Designed the first integrated agricultural credit scoring system in Oceania, facilitating 7,000+ rural bank accounts.

STANDARDS & POLICY  •  PNG / UNCTAD

PNG Vanilla Standard and Export Guide

Co-authored the voluntary sustainable standard for vanilla, subsequently adopted into PNG national law.

IMPACT INVESTMENT  •  APEC

APEC Presentation: Green and Sustainable Investment

Presented on impact investing and agricultural finance at APEC, Guangzhou 2026, representing the PNG IPA.

View full portfolio

How I work

Amaterra

STRATEGIC CONSULTANCY  ·  UK  ·  EST. 2017

Strategy and advisory across agriculture, finance, and complex systems.

Visit Amaterra

NuraTerra

CONSERVATION & LIVELIHOOD NGO  ·  PAPUA NEW GUINEA  ·  EST. 2025

Community-based conservation and livelihood programmes.

Visit NuraTerra

Is It Fatal?

CRISIS THINKING METHOD  ·  “IS IT FATAL?”

Not everything that feels fatal is.

Read Is It Fatal?

Is It Fatal?

Is It Fatal?

Not everything that feels fatal is.

Most problems feel bigger than they are. Some are not. Built from real-world decisions across science, policy, and delivery where getting it wrong has consequences.

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Recognition

  • Senior Advisor, PNG Department of Agriculture and Livestock
  • APEC Presenter, Guangzhou, 2026
  • Global Corporate Award for Sustainable Development, 2024/25 and 2025/26
  • Top 100 Most Influential People in Sustainable Agriculture (Midlands)
  • Member, BOLD Minds, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
  • Finalist, Top 10 Business Women Voices
  • Enterprise Vision Awards (EVAs) 2026 Finalist
Enterprise Vision Awards 2026 Finalist

I am a finalist for the Sustainable Business Award at the 2026 Enterprise Vision Awards, which recognise outstanding women entrepreneurs across the UK.

Finalists are selected through a rigorous application and judging process. We look forward to the ceremony in October 2026!

View our EVAs entry →

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Dr. Nancy R. Irwin

© 2026 Dr. Nancy R. Irwin. All rights reserved.

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