ADM’s Jonathan Lane elected Agricultural Industries Confederation Chair
The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) has elected ADM Agriculture’s Managing Director Jonathan Lane as its Chair.
Mr Lane was elected Chair of AIC's Board of Directors at the agri-supply trade association's AGM in early October. He has played a pivotal role in shaping ADM's climate-smart strategy in the UK and is deeply committed to driving innovation in the agri-food sector.
Being elected from his roles as Vice Chair of the AIC Board and Combinable Crops Chair, Mr Lane takes over from Chris Guest who is Managing Director of plant breeding business NPZ UK Ltd. As the immediate past Chair, Mr Guest will continue to serve as a Board member for a further year.
With more than 230 Member businesses, AIC represents the key agricultural supply sectors of Animal Feed, Combinable Crops, Crop Protection and Agronomy, Fertiliser, and Seed worth £17.8 billion turnover at farmgate.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Lane said: "I am delighted to be elected as Chair of AIC. Given the recent economic and geo-political upheaval, it is vital that our industry has a strong and united voice on so many important issues – from food security to sustainability, trade to innovation.
"AIC Member businesses are an integral part of the supply chains which make up our food system. AIC’s policy and technical expertise combined with its access to key policymakers gives Members right across the UK a powerful means to work in support of modern, sustainable, commercial agriculture."
Robert Sheasby, AIC’s Chief Executive AIC, said: "I warmly welcome Jonathan to his new position and look forward to working with him as we showcase the agri-supply industry as the bedrock of thriving and sustainable UK food production.
"With his wealth of experience, Jonathan has been an asset to the AIC Board since he joined, and I know that he will work hard to promote the interests of our Member businesses.
"I'd like to thank Chris Guest for his outstanding leadership over the past two years as Chair, offering valuable support on many key issues and championing AIC throughout its 20th anniversary last year.
"Following the election of a new UK Government this summer, AIC will step up its work to encourage a political and business environment that supports sustainable growth in the agri-supply industry."
Other AIC Board Members have also been elected. They are:
- Animal Feed Chair: Jo Gatcliffe (Head of Technical Department, AB Agri)
- Combinable Crops Chair: Tom Wood (Trading Director, Robin Appel)
- Crop Protection & Agronomy Chair: Ronan Hughes (Managing Director, Agrii)
- Fertiliser Chair: Robert Ingham (Fertiliser Director, Glasson Fertilisers)
- Seed Chair: Toby Reich (Head of Agriculture, Elsoms Seeds)
- Treasurer: David Anderson (Chief Finance Officer, Openfield)
ENDS
About AIC
As the UK agricultural supply industry's leading trade association, the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) represents businesses in key sectors within the supply chains that feed the nation.
Its Member businesses supply UK farmers and growers with the animal feed, fertiliser, seed, crop protection products, trusted advice and quality services that are essential to producing food, as well as trading crops and commodities across the globe.
Formed in October 2003 by a merger of three trade associations, today AIC has over 230 Members in the agri-supply trade and represents £17.8 billion* turnover at farmgate.
AIC works on behalf of its Members by lobbying policymakers and stakeholders, delivering information, providing trade assurance schemes, and offering technical support.
AIC Services manages a range of services, including Trade Assurance Schemes and professional registers recognised by the UK Government as essential means to underpin feed and food safety alongside fertiliser security.
These schemes and professional registers include:
- Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops (TASCC)
- Feed Materials Assurance Scheme (FEMAS)
- Universal Feed Assurance Scheme (UFAS)
- European Seed Treatment Assurance (ESTA)
- Fertiliser Industry Assurance Scheme (FIAS)
- Feed Adviser Register (FAR)
- Renewable Energy Directive (RED)
- Forage Assurance Scheme (FAA)
- AIC Services Palm Oil Credit Scheme (APOCS)
*According to a 2023 survey of AIC Members.
Press Contact
Oli Hill, Communications Manager, AIC
+44 (0)1733 385230
[email protected]
Author
Oli Hill
As Head of Communications, Oli creates and oversees the content published on AIC's website, emails, Member briefings, print publications, and social media. A qualified multimedia journalist, he previously spent six years working at Farmers Weekly magazine as a Senior Reporter on the arable team, and latterly as Community Editor. More recently he was Communications Manager at Red Tractor.