Board of directors

The Assured Food Standards Board are a team of experts and academics covering the breadth of the food industry.

The Board govern the running of the company and development of Red Tractor’s standards, ensuring they are well-informed and evolve with the latest industry needs and developments.

Jim Moseley

Chief Executive, AFS

Jim has spent his whole career in the Food & Drink Industry. Starting with FMC Meat Ltd - at the time Europe's largest Meat Group, then joining Ovaltine manufacturer Wander Foods, where he was responsible for the UK launch of the sports drink Isostar.

Recruited by Tulip as the Sales & Marketing Director, Jim spent 12 years with the group before moving to General Mills UK in 1999 as the Managing Director. At General Mills he was responsible for a broad portfolio of high profile brands including Häagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Green Giant and Nature Valley in the UK, Ireland and the Nordic markets.

After serving as the interim Director General of the Food & Drink Federation, Jim joined Mizkan Euro Ltd in September 2015.

In addition Jim has served as the Chairman of The Provision Trade Federation, the President of the Food & Drink Federation and has been a Board member of FoodDrinkEurope.

Christine Tacon CBE

Chairman, AFS

Christine Tacon CBE has been appointed Chair of Assured Food Standards who operate the Red Tractor Assurance scheme.
The former Groceries Code Adjudicator takes up the role on the 1st January 2021.Ms Tacon joins Red Tractor with decades of experience as a leader and advocate for the British food and farming industry and with an extensive background in change management, regulation and the food chain.
Christine started her professional career as an engineer and then moved into marketing working at organisations including Mars, Vodafone and Anchor (now Fonterra). For more than 10 years, she ran the Co-operative Group’s farming business- the largest of its kind in the UK. In 2004, she was awarded a CBE for services to agriculture.
She currently serves as the Chair of the BBC Rural Affairs Committee and MDS – a management training scheme for the food and fresh produce industry. She is also a Director of the AF Group, a £250m purchasing co-operative for agri-businesses.
Until October 2020, Ms Tacon was a government regulator responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice by large grocery retailers, who are designated by the Competition and Markets Authority, in their dealings with direct suppliers.

Andrew Blenkiron

Vice Chairman, AFS

Andrew joined the AFS board in March 2014. Previously, Andrew was a board member and technical advisor committee chairman of the AFS Beef and Lamb Sector board.

Andrew is currently Estate Director of Euston Estate. The impressive 11,000 acre estate in Suffolk is home to a substantial and varied in-hand farming operation that extends to around 6,500 acres.

Nick Allen

Industry Director - BMPA

Nick Allen has a deep understanding of the British meat and livestock industries having previously worked in market development roles for the Meat and Livestock Commission, AHDB and the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX).

As CEO of the British Meat Processors Association he is able to pull together his connections from across farming, the meat industry, retail and government to forge a more collaborative approach to the UK’s food challenges.

As well as his role with BMPA Nick also runs a farm in Hampshire.

Stuart Roberts

Industry Director

Stuart farms 400 hectares in Hertfordshire and Kent in partnership with his wife Emma and father Howard. A third generation arable and livestock farmer at Hammonds End Farm, Harpenden Stuart has also worked for Defra and the Food Standards Agency and held senior management roles within the meat supply chain.
The farm incorporates around 300 hectares of combinable crops supplying grain to more than 50 artisan mills and bakers throughout the UK. The remaining land is predominately permanent pasture and a small amount of woodland. The farm includes two cattle herds, a commercial Simmental / Hereford herd producing 14 month old store cattle and a small but growing pedigree herd of Hereford cattle. The business also includes a small flock of laying hens.
Stuart has served as Hertfordshire NFU County Chairman since 2015 and has served on both the East Anglian livestock and combinable crops board. Stuart has previously served on the boards of Red Tractor and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.
Prior to returning to the family farm Stuart had a career in the civil service with the Food Standards Agency and Defra and has held a number of positions within the red meat supply chain with both the British Meat Processors Association and the ABP Food Group.
Stuart has a daughter and three sons and enjoys cycling and running (slowly).

Nicholas Saphir

Industry Director

Nicholas has a wide background in agriculture and horticulture, having built a public company, farming, processing and trading fruit and vegetables in the UK, Europe, southern Africa and South America. His dairy experience includes spending the last 18 years building the Organic Milk Producers' Cooperative (Omsco) into the world’s second largest dedicated organic milk cooperative, with exports of cheese, butter and infant formula grade milk powders to the USA, EU and Australasia. He also has a long and successful record of chairing industry and government bodies in the food and farming sector, including being the chairman of the Central Council for Agricultural and Horticultural Cooperation, founder chairman of Food from Britain, president of the Fresh Produce Consortium and chairman of the Agricultural Forum.

Guy Smith

Sector Director

Guy Smith farms 300 Ha of arable crops and conservation sheep grazing on the Essex coast. The farm has won conservation awards including PAN UK’s Bee Friendly Farm of the Year. With his son Henry, he also runs the Blue Garden Cafe on the outskirts of Clacton on sea. He has previously sat on the combinable crops board of AHDB and CEL He was deputy president of the NFU for six years. He is the founder of the Essex Schools Food and Farming Day.

Guy Poppy

Independent director

Professor Guy Poppy took up his role as the FSA’s Chief Scientific Adviser in August 2014. He also continues with his research in global food security at the University of Southampton, where he is Professor of Ecology and previously directed Interdisciplinary Research across 11 research themes and 4 institutes.
Professor Poppy has significant research experience in food systems and food security and has advised governments around the world on these issues. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers including a number of highly cited articles on risk assessment, risk analysis and risk communication. He is currently a member of the Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) panel assessing the quality of agriculture, food and veterinary science in the UK, having previously served on the REF2014 panel.
A graduate of Imperial College and Oxford University, Professor Poppy previously worked at Rothamsted Research, becoming Principal Scientific Officer. He left in 2001 to join the University of Southampton where he has been Head of Biodiversity and Ecology and, more recently, Head of Biological Sciences.
As the FSA’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Poppy provides expert scientific advice to the UK government and plays a critical role in helping to understand how scientific developments will shape the work of the FSA as well as the strategic implications of any possible changes. His series of CSA reports have reached a very wide audience and have had impact on issues ranging from AMR to Big data and Whole Genome Sequencing through to the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS). He has focused on connecting science to those using it and has pushed for scientists to be intelligent providers to intelligent customers of science within the FSA and beyond.
In June 2020, Professor Poppy will begin his role as Programme Director for the SPF Food systems programme. This will be part of a £47.5 million interdisciplinary research programme led by the Global Food Security Programme (GFS) and supported by UKRI’s Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF).

Sophie Throup

Industry Director

Sophie represents the BRC and joined the AFS Board in June 2020.
Sophie has been with Wm Morrison plc since November 2017 and heads up Agriculture, Fisheries and Sustainable Sourcing.
Sophie started her career with ASDA before having a period of time at home on the family dairy and egg farm when her children were born. She joined Bishopton Veterinary Group in 2009 and whilst there, developed and managed RAFT Solutions Ltd with veterinary colleagues, delivering livestock research and training projects for the private and public sectors. Sophie also helped set up the government funded agri-tech centre, CIEL (Centre of Innovation Excellence in Livestock), for whom she is still a non-executive director. Through Morrisons, Sophie also is part of the steering committee for the IGD generated FIIA (Food Industry Initiative for Antimicrobials).

Stewart Houston CBE, FRAgS

Sector Director

Stewart served as a Non Exec member of the Food Standards Agency Board, was chair of the British Pig Executive and an Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board member. He also served on the Scottish Agriculture College board and was Executive Director of the National Pig Association. He is currently a non exec member of Defra’s Animal Health and Welfare Board, England, which advises ministers on policy and is currently developing an Animal Health and Welfare Pathway.

John Reed

Industry Director

John is the Agricultural Director for Avara Foods Limited, a joint venture between Faccenda Foods Limited and Cargill, producers of chicken, turkey and duck products. Between 1978 and 1990 he held various roles in Commercial Layer Management up to Regional Agricultural Manager for Eastwood/Imperial Group/Hillsdown Holdings. In 1991 John became Agricultural Director for Moorland Foods, who were Turkey Producers. He joined Sun Valley Foods/Cargill (Chicken Production) as Agricultural Director in 1998, where he had exposure to Cargill’s International Poultry Businesses dealing with due diligence, standards and support. John has achieved many Awards including a Nuffield Farm Scholarship, Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies and Chairman of the BPC. In 2019 John was appointed to the Board of Assured Food Standards. He has been involved in numerous Industry/Government Committees, initiatives and reports including Co Founder & Board Member for The Red Tractor Assurance Poultry Board, Co Founder and Former Chairman for both British Poultry Training and Poultry Health & Welfare Board and a member of the NFU Regional NFU Poultry Board.

Iain Gardner

Sector Director

After graduating from Edinburgh Iain worked in the pig industry for five years before starting his career with BOCM PAULS. This career has seen him move through the business and be part of the management buyout and subsequent sale of the business to ForFarmers. He has worked at Executive or Group Board level for the past 17 years and after 30 years of working closely with all parts of the agricultural industry stepped down from his role as Chief Operating Officer in December 2017. In the first half of 2018 he has taken on the role of Chair of the BOCM PAULS defined benefit pension scheme and is looking forward to Chair the poultry sector board for Red Tractor.

John Pain

Independent Director

John Pain joined the AFS board on 2 January 2020, John qualified with a degree in Agricultural Economics from University of Newcastle Upon Tyne and gained and an MBA from the University of Leicester. He has a background in marketing, gained with leading UK brands such as Sainsbury’s, Nabisco, and Diageo. His career in International Quick Service Restaurants began in 1994 at KFC GB followed by assignments as Marketing Director for Yum! Brands in Middle East, South Africa, Asia Pacific and VP of Marketing at Taco Bell USA.
He returned to the UK for four years in 2007, as Marketing Director of the Compass Group UK & Ireland business, before joining The Wendy’s Company as MD for their APEMEA region, overseeing 11 markets. Between 2007 and 2011, he was a board member and trustee of the Institute for Grocery Distribution In addition to AFS, John is Vice Chairman of KFC Philippines and Chair of Governing Council at the Royal Agricultural University.

Angela Rhodes

Sector Director

Angela studied agriculture at Seale Hayne followed by a career as an agricultural journalist and then working in the cattle breeding industry. She is also a Nuffield Scholar and for the last 11 years has been farming jointly with her husband in South Warwickshire where they have a 330 cow autumn calving dairy herd on a 420 acre predominantly grass farm.

Alistair Mackintosh

Sector Director

Alistair Mackintosh runs a flock of 1,500 breeding ewes and a herd of 100 beef sucklers in Ravenglass, Cumbria, across 650 rented acres.

“Red Tractor is something that’s absolutely essential to my business and I think it’s a great assurance scheme that gives consumers confidence to buy British, and that’s going to be increasingly important for UK farming,” he said.

“Some of the priorities are reestablishing the core values of what the tractor stands for. Farmers, stakeholders and trade associations have to work together on this to ensure farmers don’t view farm assurance as a regulatory burden and see what it does for their businesses.”

Chris Goodwin

Independent Director

Chris joined the AFS Board in December 2016 and is a Chartered Certified Accountant.
He has held senior roles as a CFO and CEO in a number of industry sectors, most recently as CFO of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, and prior to that, CEO of the NFU's commercial subsidiary. He now works as a non executive director and business adviser for a variety of organisations in both the public and private sectors.

Lucy MacLennan

Sector Director

Lucy MacLennan is a specialist consultant to the food industry having worked as a food technologist for the past 20 years. Her work has taken her around the world improving the quality and safety of fresh produce for leading UK retailers such as Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury's Supermarkets, as well as working extensively throughout their supply bases.
Lucy is currently studying for a Professional Doctorate in Agrifood from the University of Nottingham, researching the impact of private food standards on UK fresh produce supply chains. She has previously obtained an MBA from Cranfield University and her undergraduate degree BSc (Hons) in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Surrey.

Melissa Donald

Independent Director

Melissa qualified from Glasgow Vet School in 1987 and has experience in mixed practice in North Ayrshire. She was a partner in a hill farming enterprise, running 1200 ewes and 100 suckler cows but now just has some sheep to keep the dogs busy.
Currently Melissa is on the council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and is the Scottish Branch Senior Vice President of the British Veterinary Association

Melissa joined the AFS Board in March 2017 as an independent director to represent animal health and welfare.

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