Red Tractor has announced the appointment of two new sector chairs – Nick Major as chair of the Poultry Sector Board and Veryan Bliss as chair of the Fresh Produce Sector Board.
Both will also join the Red Tractor board of directors and will play key roles in shaping the strategic direction of the organisation.
Major brings extensive executive and non-executive board experience across the agricultural supply industry.
He spent 38 years with international animal feed company ForFarmers in sales, marketing and general management roles, and as corporate affairs director led the development and implementation of ForFarmers’ sustainability strategy.
Commenting on his appointment, Nick Major said: “Farmers are rightly proud of the very high animal welfare and production standards we operate to in the UK, as am I.
“I believe that maintaining the trust consumers place in Red Tractor is vital in improving the profitability and resilience of the entire food and farming sector and particularly poultry production, in the years ahead.”
Nick Major is a senior adviser at Wild Search and sat on the Centre for Innovation Excellence’s board prior to the formation of the UK Agri-Tech Centre.
He has held numerous non‑executive, trustee and advisory roles, served as chair of the Agricultural Industries Confederation, chaired the Board of the Global Feed LCA Institute and is a former president of the European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation.
He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Farmers.
Veryan Bliss has three decades of experience across the global fresh produce supply chain, with expertise in growing, packing, technical assurance, innovation and governance for the UK retail sector.
For more than 20 years, she held senior leadership roles at Suncrop Produce, serving as both commercial and technical director and technical director, where she oversaw technical and ESG responsibilities from farm to shelf, led commercial and operational developments, managed brand protection and fostered grower and retailer relationships.
In 2022 she launched Food Intelligence Ltd., and continues to provide strategic leadership and advisory support across the sector.
Commenting on her appointment, Veryan Bliss said: “I chose to apply for the Fresh Produce chair role because I care deeply about bridging the gap between growers, retailers, and consumers.
“It’s an opportunity to help shape assurance that is proportionate, progressive, and genuinely supportive of the people who produce our food.
“I see Red Tractor as a shared platform for trust and progress, and I wanted to help ensure it continues to work with growers to deliver assurance that genuinely adds value.”
Bliss has served on the Red Tractor Fresh Produce Board since 2019 and holds several industry roles, including non‑executive director of the Fresh Produce Consortium and The Andersons Centre, and Trustee of the East of England Agricultural Society.
She has co‑chaired the Waitrose Agronomy Group, served on the John Lewis Partnership’s Leckford Estate Regenerative Agriculture Steering Group, and was elected as an industry representative to the Soil Association.
She is a mentor and thought leader, supporting Women in Agriculture and advising agri-tech companies at the intersection of technology and sustainability.
Welcoming the appointments, Red Tractor chair Alistair Macintosh said: “We are delighted to welcome Nick and Veryan to their new roles.
“They bring complementary experience and deep sector knowledge that will strengthen Red Tractor’s ability to support producers and supply chains while maintaining the trust consumers place in our assurance.
“Their leadership will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our standards and deliver value for British farming and food.”
Both appointments followed an open recruitment process overseen by the Red Tractor Nominations Committee, with representatives from the relevant sector boards and in line with the Red Tractor Governance Handbook.
Red Tractor
Red Tractor is the UK’s largest food and farm assurance scheme and its members include over 42,000 farmers and growers across all areas of livestock and agriculture, accounting for 75% of UK agriculture production.
95% of poultry and 90% of pork in the UK are produced to Red Tractor standards.
