Former FSA chief joins Red Tractor Board
Professor Guy Poppy has been appointed to the Assured Food Standards (AFS) Board as Red Tractor’s new scientific adviser for agricultural and food science.
Poppy’s new role will be to provide strategic insight and direction for the scheme regarding agricultural and food science.
He is currently serving as a senior professor at the University of Southampton, where he continues his research into global food security, and is the director of a new £47.5 million Strategic Priorities Fund research programme focused on transforming the UK food system. His previous roles have included being the chief scientific adviser at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and principal scientific officer at Rothamsted Research.
Red Tractor chair, Baroness Lucy Neville-Rolfe, said: “This is a critically important time for Red Tractor to demonstrate strong leadership in protecting the integrity of the food chain and British agricultural standards.
“Our standards are the bedrock of the farming industry. So, it’s our duty to understand the implications of any changes in approach to the science of food production and farming. I am confident that Guy’s experience and skills will help us to navigate this process safely.”
“Maintaining high standards in food has never been more important and I am looking forward to building a better food system.”
Poppy’s appointment from November comes as David Clarke CBE steps down from Red Tractor duties next month.
As a founding member of the scheme, David led the organisation as its CEO for 17 years, before continuing to provide guidance in his capacity as science director on the AFS Board.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe added: “I would like to take this opportunity to mark the incredible work and commitment that David has displayed over decades. It is easy to underestimate the impact he has had on British food and farming, after it was devasted by a decade of food scares back in the 1990s.
“I would like to offer our thanks and wish David the very best of luck for the future.”
Commenting on his new role, Professor Poppy said: “I am really looking forward to joining the board of Red Tractor. Maintaining high standards in food has never been more important and I am looking forward to building a better food system. I am confident that certified standards through the Red Tractor scheme will play a major role.”
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