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 Countess of Wessex has shown a passionate commitment to the work LEAF does in developing and promoting more sustainable farming.
The present LEAF Board of Trustees consists of a Chair and 10 members; the LEAF Chief Executive Officer (CEO) also attends the meetings. The 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.
The LEAF Board of Trustees is also supported by the LEAF Policy and Strategic Development Committiee, the LEAF Advisory Board and the LEAF Marque Board.
Philip has spent 40 years managing and advising businesses in nearly every sector of the agriculture industry, having direct responsibility for the management of 7,000 acres of primarily arable farming in Lincolnshire as well as Non-Executive Directorships across the food and farming sector. He has had a long connection with LEAF, having been Manager of the Nevile Estate in Lincolnshire, one of LEAF’s first Demonstration Farms.
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. He provides agricultural information and support to a range of clients including Marks & Spencer, Massey Ferguson and the RSPB. He also produces a weekly market briefing for the international potato industry. He has edited a number of agricultural magazines in the UK and the Netherlands. In 2012 he was the Chairman of the Oxford Farming Conference and is also a governor of his local primary school.
Angus Davison established Haygrove Farm in 1988 as part of a university project looking at new strawberry growing systems. They 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.
Keith graduated from Newcastle University and then followed a career in practical farm management for 6 years. He then changed to a technically based role as Velcourt’s Technical Director, supporting Velcourt’s team of 45 farm managers in crop production technology and managing Velcourt’s in-house research and development activity for 30 years. Keith is now a free lance, independent consultant. Keith has worked on various overseas farming activities in Spain, France, Germany, Zambia, Russia and the Ukraine. Keith has led and participated in many collaborative research projects, and has worked with all the major Agrochemical manufacturers, providing independent evaluation of new and existing active ingredients. Keith is actively involved with many world-leading research institutions; he is a trustee of the John Innes Foundation, is a JIC Council member, a member of the AHDB Wheat RL committee and has served on the Research and Knowledge Transfer Committee for six years. Keith was awarded the Farm Advisor of the Year in the Farmers Weekly Awards in 2013
Group Head of Content at AgriBriefing Ltd
Ian Pigott has been awarded the Farmers Weekly, Farming Champion of the Year award, he has received the coveted Countryside Alliance Rural Hero award for founding Farm Sunday and the Bullock Award for his ongoing commitment to reconnecting children with food and farming.
Chair in Soil Erosion & Conservation, Cranfield Soil & AgriFood Institute
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 Advisory Board is chaired by LEAF Chairman Stephen Fell, providing their expertise to help advise LEAF.
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.