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He works closely with the national boards for Horticulture & Potatoes and Combinable Crops to develop and deliver their key strategic aims.

Lydia has worked in the climate change, livestock and international trade teams, and is now working in the sugar team.

Net zero priorities are set by the member-led Net Zero Steering Group to identify benefits and barriers of transition. A key step in the journey is the development of the Sector Resilience Plans, launched at the NFU conference in February 2023.

Each sector board has outlined initial priority areas to help members identify low-carbon opportunities. The plans bring together where we need support from policy, the value chain and R&D, and will evolve as members feed into the process.

The home farm is based around arable production but has also diversified into equestrian and renewables.

Tom has represented the NFU from Local Branch Chairman through to Chair of the National Combinable Crops Board.

Tom was elected to the position of NFU President in February 2024.

Responsibilities

• Animal health and welfare incl. bTB
• Trade and standards
• Climate, energy and net zero
• Food supply chain (fair dealing, mergers and acquisitions, competition, regulation)
• Animal ID and movements
• Assurance review
• Taxation and fiscal policy
• Immigration

Emily grew up on a mixed farm in Bedfordshire and has been involved in helping out across the business, from working in the family farm shop to working with livestock and driving the combine at harvest.

She graduated from Harper Adams with a BSc (Hons) in Agriculture with Farm Business Management in 2021 and then worked as the Students’ Union president until 2022. She was also an NFU Student & Young Farmer Ambassador from 2022 to 2023 so has a good understanding of the NFU and what it can do for members.

In her spare time, Emily enjoys playing her guitar, being in the outdoors, fitness and following women’s rugby. She is also an active member of Bedford Young Farmers.

He joined the NFU headquarters in January 1993 from Hertfordshire County Council and has filled a variety of roles including Chief Environment Adviser and, prior to his current role, Head of Policy Services.

Andrew lives with his family in Worcestershire where he grew up on a hop and fruit farm. He has a PhD in Environment Science from the University of East Anglia and is a Chartered Landscape Architect.

Sanjay has worked as an economist for the last seven years, having previously worked in regulation and competition economics.

David farms south of Horsham in West Sussex with his wife and two sons over 1200 tenanted hectares in the heart of the Sussex Weald.

Starting in 1989 with 70ha the business now has arable, dairy beef, Sussex suckler herd and sheep enterprises. In 2003 the Farm Shop opened and sells a wide range of food from the Victorian stable yard at Westons.

He has served previously within the NFU as Branch Chair, West Sussex Council Delegate, South East Regional Chair as well as four years on Governance Board.

David was elected to the position of NFU Deputy President in February 2024.

Responsibilities

• EU and international relations
• Banking
• Biodiversity
• Food labelling
• Food safety
• Food service and hospitality
• Agricultural transition (productivity, ELMs, stability)
• Plant health
• Assurance schemes
• British Agriculture Bureau
• Health, safety and wellbeing
• Agricultural transport
• Uplands
• Tenants

Prior to joining the NFU in 2025, Dmitry worked in the financial services sector and as a climate policy specialist at ActionAid. Dmitry holds an MSc in Food Security from the University of Edinburgh.

As Chief Science adviser at the NFU she leads our policy and advocacy work on agricultural and horticultural science and research, biotechnology and data, and food safety.

She has managed teams of policy advisers within the Policy Directorate in various iterations over the years, including on food standards, animal health and welfare, plant health, better regulation, farm inputs, safety, employment, skills & training, and transport. She works extensively and proactively with organisations across all sectors of the agrifood industry and the academic community to influence Government policy, R&D funding strategies and legislation impacting NFU members.

Helen is a member of many groups and panels in the agrifood and research sectors including a non-executive Director of the NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany) Board, Chair of the Crop Science Centre Alliance Board, and was appointed to Defra’s Precision Breeding Working Group in 2023.

His role is a key part of the NFU Sugar negotiating team, ensuring they have the evidence and confidence to support their positions.

The commercial analyst also provides the NFU Sugar team, board and growers with analysis of market conditions, and leads on the effective application and development of policies and regulations, including those related to the commercial relationship between NFU Sugar and the sole UK processor of sugar beet, British Sugar.

Bella joined the NFU from the hospitality and leisure industry. Working within the food and drink world with a retail and consumer focus, she wanted to flip that table to champion British produce and all the dealings our network of farmers and growers face day-to-day.Ìý

Emma graduated from the University of Leicester with a degree in biology and worked as a plant breeder for CPB Twyford before becoming a plant health and seeds inspector with MAFF – now Defra.

As well as the day job, she and her husband run a small beef and arable enterprise where they practice regenerative or conservation agriculture. Emma is a BASIS and FACTS qualified agronomist and sits on the NRoSO register. Her keen interest in botany and agronomy helps in her role as secretary to the NFU Midlands Combinable Crops Board.

Outside work, Emma is active on several community groups and enjoys sewing, walking, travel, natural history, conservation and spending time with her family.Ìý

Speaking to farmers regarding the adjustments they've implemented in their farming practices is one of Stuart's key roles, as well as focusing on enhancements to both environmental sustainability and business performance.

These case studies serve as guidance for other NFU members striving to build robust and adaptable businesses.

Stuart is editor of the Environment Matters newsletter (which you can subscribe to via the My Profile section) and manages the NFU Environment X account.

Before joining the NFU, Stuart was awarded a BSc in geography from the University of Edinburgh, with a particular focus on the physical aspects of the discipline.

In his free time, Stuart enjoys playing hockey and badminton.

Alastair graduated from Harper Adams in 2018 with a 2:1 BSC (Hons) in Agri-Business. Following his passion for agricultural policy, Alastair joined the NFU's graduate trainee programme, which has since led to Alastair's current position as an environment adviser.

Rory grew up on a mixed arable and beef farm in Essex and graduated from Harper Adams University in 2022 with a degree in agriculture with crop management.Ìý

After graduating, he worked for a large contractor in New Zealand and then went travelling. Before joining the NFU, he worked for a large arable enterprise in Norfolk.

His team is responsible for recruiting and retaining members, running regional events for members and lobbying and campaigns across the NFU Midlands' counties of Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Lincolnshire, Holland (Lincs), Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland (LNR), Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.Ìý

He is a former director at the Institute of Grocery Distribution and adviser to Arla Foods and the Food Ethics Council.

He works closely with the NFU Sugar board to shape the organisation's policy and plays a crucial role in price negotiations.

He leads on:

• Access to labour and the seasonal worker scheme.
• National Living and other minimum wage rates.
• Employment regulation.
• Skills development representing the NFU on Agriculture Trailblazer groups and T Level consultative groups.

As well as communicating developments and consulting on changes in policy with members, Poppy regularly engages and works with key industry stakeholders such as Defra and the RPA.

After completing a Master's degree at the Royal Agricultural University, Poppy has undertaken various roles within the agricultural industry and has been with the NFU for two years.

Poppy understands the many challenges farmers face and is passionate about ensuring environmental policy works for farming businesses.

Sarah and her team are responsible for ensuring that growers' deliveries of beet are handled in accordance with the approved procedures agreed between the NFU Sugar team and British Sugar.

She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to NFU Sugar not least from her previous role with Germains.

Her focus is on the on-farm aspects of plant health issues, such as IPM, stewardship and the impact of farming practices on plant and soil health.

Richard’s work falls into four key themes: 1) development of support scheme policy; 2) implementation of scheme policy; 3) assisting NFU members with scheme issues and; 4) educating and raising awareness of scheme issues with members.

Prior working for the NFU, Richard was a farm business consultant working with farmers in the eastern counties on a range of administration issues, such as applications for farm support, farm budgeting and contact management. Richard is from a farming family in the southern counties.