Meet the people on LEAF's Board of Trustees and learn more about how LEAF is governed.
Since her appointment as LEAF Honorary president in October 2016, The Duchess of Edinburgh has shown a passionate commitment to the work LEAF does in developing and promoting more sustainable farming.
The LEAF Board of Trustees oversees all matters relating to LEAF’s charitable status including finance, personnel and legal issues. Their head office is based at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, England, UK, and provides all administrative support.
LEAF Chief Executive
With a career spanning over 50 years Philip has managed and advised businesses in nearly every sector of agriculture. He has been a Director of Dyson Farming since it was formed in 2013 and has a number of other Directorships across the food and farming sector. He is a financial and strategic adviser to a number of large scale vegetable, potato and arable business. Philip has had a long connection with LEAF, having been Manager of the Nevile Estate in Lincolnshire, one of LEAF’s first Demonstration farms. He has been Chairman of LEAF since 2017.
Tom joined the LEAF board and LEAF Marque board on 29 January 2018. Having spent his entire career working in the agricultural industry, Tom has increasingly focused on agri-tech opportunities, applying his experience in both crops and livestock to accelerate development and deployment of new technology solutions, both in the UK and internationally. Formerly CEO of Spearhead International and Greens of Soham, Tom was previously general manager of G’s Marketing. He joined the Board of Farmwealth in 1999 and Spearhead International (formerly Greens of Soham) in 1993. Tom was CEO between 2002 and 2016.
Ian’s role at Bidwells brings together practical agricultural management and consultancy. He has direct responsibility for 1000 hectares of arable and grassland in central England and oversees a further 600 hectares under management agreements. Ian is qualified in agronomy and trained in agricultural business management at the Royal Agricultural College. Ian has advised a range of rural businesses on single farm payment, agri-environmental schemes and crop management issues.
Cedric is an independent agricultural supply chain consultant and journalist. He is the editor of the weekly World Potato Markets newsletter. Since November 2021 he has been a member of the Trade & Agricultural Commission examining post-Brexit trade deals. Cedric is also a director of a large farming estate in Norfolk. In 2012 he chaired the Oxford Farming Conference and he regularly speaks at events in the UK and abroad.
Angus Davison established Haygrove Farm in 1988 as part of a university project looking at new strawberry growing systems, and is now the ‘Eccentric Chairman’. Haygrove are conventional as well as organic growers with a total of 53 hectares in berry production.
Sara was Head of Farming Strategy Innovation and Sustainability at Defra until 2016, where she lead the development of the Government’s 25 Year Food and Farming Plan, oversaw delivery of the Agri Tech Strategy, research and innovation, and was responsible for policy on climate change and agriculture. Sara was previously head of Rural Policy in Defra and head of Sustainable Consumption and Production. Sara now co-directs Eppel Sustainability Ltd providing sustainability consultancy to major projects such as HS2, and to international organisations such as the World Bank. Before joining Defra, Sara was Director of Policy for the UK Sustainable Development Commission, and at the Energy Saving Trust. She worked for the International Energy Agency and OECD, as well as an earlier career in the civil service at the Department of the Environment and No10.
Caroline Mason is a sustainability expert with over 18 years of experience of working and travelling across global food systems. During her time at some of the UK’s most loved food retailer brands including the Co-op and Waitrose, she has fostered collaborative relationships from farm to fork. She is founder of Seeds to Thrive, which advises and coaches businesses and people to accelerate their sustainability dreams and ambitions. Caroline has previously volunteered on a wildlife and biodiversity research conservation programme in Costa Rica and is the Co-Founder and Chair of an industry Agriculture Wellbeing incubator hub, composed of 17 businesses and charities. She is also a Non-Exec Director of Innovating Healthy Food Systems at New Foundation Farms. Caroline is a passionate champion and mentor of young women and girls who want to be the sustainability leaders and change makers of the future.
Group Head of Content at AgriBriefing Ltd
LEAF Trustee / Professor in Soil Erosion & Conservation, Cranfield Soil & AgriFood Institute
Head of Sustainability, Global Education coordinator and Tutor at Wellington College
Chairman, Farmacy PLC
The LEAF Marque Board is the statutory board for LEAF Marque Ltd a wholly owned subsidiary of LEAF the “charity”. The LEAF Marque Board works in close co-operation with the LEAF Board of Trustees, the LEAF Marque TAC (Technical Advisory Committee) and all other stakeholder groups within LEAF. It has its own Terms of Reference which are binding for the activities of the LEAF Marque Board.
The present LEAF Marque Technical Advisory Committee is made up of different intergovernmental, nongovernmental, academic, producer, retailer and certification organisations. They meet on a quarterly basis and work in conjunction with the LEAF Technical team. The TAC will, from time to time under the LEAF Marque TAC Terms of Reference, be able to consult other experts to comment on certain technical developments of the LEAF Marque Standard.
Through its outreach and from past consultations, LEAF has had a positive response from a range of different stakeholders. This has provided LEAF with a further group to liaise with for future consultations. The present group comprises stakeholders representing 16 countries and 4 continents.
Chaired by Tom Heap this committee provide their time and expertise in guiding LEAF policy and strategic development.
LEAF’s Public System Reports on its Standard Setting, Assurance and Impacts are listed below. They give a summary of how LEAF has established its work in these areas and how it intends to develop this in the future. Comments are welcome from any interested parties — please let us know using the feed back form below or our Complaints and Enquiries form. The LEAF Marque Stakeholder Mapping document describes this stakeholder engagement over the last few years.Through mapping and by providing meaningful opportunities to contribute, a balance of sectors including those indirectly affected by the Standard, interested representatives will be promoted by LEAF, its stakeholders and producers.