David John Allen is a botanist and author, specialising in tropical legumes in West Africa and habitat conservation in East Devon, UK.
[1] Allen had a career in tropical agriculture for over 20 years, concentrating on plant health and yield in legumes.
He left to study for a doctorate and to change direction to legume crops, dividing his time between Cambridge in the UK and Bunda College of Agriculture in Malawi.
[2] Allen subsequently led a national programme of research on legumes in Zambia until in 1984 he moved to a post in northern Tanzania organised through the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Cali, Colombia.
[4] In 2016 David J. Allen was given an award at the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Landscapes for Life Conference 2016.