Tim Bennett (farmer)
Tim Bennett (born July 1953) is a British farmer and agricultural administrator. He was President of the National Farmers' Union of England and Wales from 2004 to 2006, after previously serving as its deputy president. He has also chaired DairyCo, the Food Standards Agency, and the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock.
Early life and education
Bennett was born in July 1953 and brought up in the West Midlands. He attended Halesowen Grammar School and Seale-Hayne Agricultural College in Devon.
Career
After college, he worked in France and Herefordshire before farming in Carmarthenshire, Wales.[1]
He farms with his wife Susan in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. His farm has been described as mainly organic and grassland-based, with some woodland.[2]
National Farmers' Union
Bennett was elected deputy president of the National Farmers' Union of England and Wales in 1998.[3] In February 2004, he was elected President of the NFU, succeeding Ben Gill.[4]
Bennett served as NFU president until 2006. His presidency came during a period of debate within the organisation about its leadership style and campaigning role, including criticism from the pressure group Better NFU and a subsequent leadership contest won by Peter Kendall.
Food and agricultural roles
Bennett was appointed to the board of the Food Standards Agency in March 2008 and became deputy chair in 2012.[5] He later served as interim chair of the agency. In 2015, ministers agreed that he should remain as chair until 31 March 2016, before Heather Hancock took up the role from 1 April 2016.[6]
He was chair of DairyCo, the milk-sector division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, from 2007 to 2014.[7]
Bennett has also served as chair of the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock, a UK agri-tech centre focused on livestock innovation.[8] In 2020, he became chair of the Council of Management of the Organic Research Centre.[9]
References
- ↑ New President for National Farmers' Union (PDF) (Report). United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service. 1 March 2004. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Tim Bennett". Organic Research Centre. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Tim Bennett". Farmers Weekly. 27 January 2000. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Carmarthenshire farmer is new NFU president". FarmingUK. 18 February 2004. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "New appointments to the FSA". WiredGov. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ Appointment of the Chair of the Food Standards Agency (Report). House of Commons Health Committee. 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Tim Bennett". UK Agri-Tech Centre. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "CIEL Board". Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Former NFU president takes on chairmanship of Organic Research Centre". Speciality Food Magazine. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
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