David Dent graduated from University of Durham, UK. A soil surveyor, he has dug in every continent. Turning to land evaluation, land use planning, and the science-policy interface, he has advised national governments, international organisations, and multinationals. He is former Director of ISRIC-World Soil Information.

Martin Keulertz is Adjunct Assistant Professor of Food Security at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

Michael Gilmont is a Research Affiliate at the Institute or Science and Innovation and Society at the University of Oxford, focusing on interdisciplinary hydrological, political economy approaches to water management. Subsequent to work on this book, he has been an adviser to the UN Environment Programme.