Forum Speakers
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Aimee Mahony, Chief Poultry Advisor, NFU (Chair)
Aimee Mahony joined the NFU in 2016 following four years in the poultry industry, gaining practical poultry experience in her previous role with the UK’s largest egg packer Noble Foods. Aimee held the role of Regional Manager for East Anglia, looking after contract egg producers, liaising with a number of industry stakeholders including assurance bodies and retailers. She also helped develop an internal audit and was the editor of the producer magazine, the ‘Egg Express’. In 2019 Aimee was named the EPIC Young Poultry Person of the Year and eight months later was appointed NFU Chief Poultry Adviser. Aimee completed her MSc in Intensive Livestock Health and Production in 2020, focusing her final research on UK poultry keepers’ perceptions of avian influenza biosecurity and risk. As Chief Poultry Adviser Aimee leads on a number of policy issues covering both the poultry meat and egg sectors and manages the national poultry board. She has also been instrumental in the success of the Poultry Industry Programme which is an opportunity for young people to learn more about the poultry sector and encourages them to become future ambassadors for the industry.
Forum: Egg Outlook – Helping You Plan Ahead
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Alistair Driver, Editor, Pig World (Chair)
Alistair is editor of Pig World and group editor of Agronomist and Arable Farmer (AAF) Farm Contractor and Large Scale Farmer, titles recently acquired by Farmers Weekly owner, Mark Allen Group. Alistair is also the National Pig Association's webmaster, updating the website on a daily basis and advising the association on communications. Pig World is the leading industry title, incorporating a monthly magazine, website and events, including the annual National Pig Awards and the successful Pigs Tomorrow conference. Alistair joined Lewis Business Media, Pig World's previous owner, in August 2016. Previously he was political editor at Farmers Guardian for many years and, before, worked for Farmers Weekly. He has been a regular farming media pundit over the years, commenting on industry issues on Sky and BBC TV news, as well as Farming Today and regional radio. Brought up on a Leicestershire farm, he now works from a shed in the garden of his home in Oxfordshire.
Forum: The Communications Battle – How Should The Pig Sector Respond?
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Amy Davies – Livetec Systems
Amy is a skilled facilitator and City & Guilds qualified trainer with a strong background in livestock production, animal welfare and biosecurity. As a Biosecurity Adviser at Livetec, she leads the development and delivery of online and in-person training programmes for poultry and livestock professionals, alongside providing practical consultancy support to UK producers. Since joining Livetec, Amy has worked closely with egg and poultry meat businesses to strengthen on-farm biosecurity, improve staff training and support contingency planning. Her hands-on farming experience gives her a clear understanding of the operational realities producers face, enabling her to deliver advice that is both practical and commercially relevant. Before Livetec, Amy spent five years as an Agricultural Lecturer and Course Manager at Berkshire College of Agriculture, training future industry professionals. She holds a Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement and an HNC in Poultry Production.
Forum: Predict, Prevent, Protect: Year-round Disease Risk & Biosecurity
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Amy Jackson, Oxtale Communications (Wed)
Amy is an agricultural communications specialist who has worked with the UK and Irish farming industries on high profile challenges such as horsemeat, the rise of ‘megafarms’, bovine TB, antibiotic use and perceived environmental damage. She has a particular interest in public perceptions around some of the more contentious aspects of modern farming, which first led her to a Nuffield scholarship in 2012 ("Can we Learn to Love the Megadairy?") then a PhD in 2022, examining public attitudes to farming. As well as continuing to run her own consultancy Oxtale, Amy is a part time Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham vet school, looking at farmer attitudes towards cattle disease, climate change and farm animal welfare. Amy chairs the Dairy Technical Advisory Committee for Red Tractor, is on the Appeals Panel for Quality Meat Scotland, and was a Behaviour Change ‘Champion’ for the UK's Agri-Food for Net Zero Network+ (AFN) research project. She was recognised as an industry ‘Gamechanger’ in the 2024 Farmers Weekly Awards.
Forums: The Communications Battle – How Should The Poultry Sector Respond To Activism? // The Communications Battle – How Should The Pig Sector Respond?
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Anna Jones, Just Farmers (Thurs)
Anna is a rural affairs journalist, author, presenter, TV producer and farmer’s daughter from the Welsh Borders. She has worked on BBC One’s Countryfile, Channel 4’s Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker and is a familiar voice on Radio 4’s Farming Today and On Your Farm. She founded Just Farmers after her Nuffield Farming Scholarship to improve communication between the UK farming community and urban audiences.
Forums: The Communications Battle – How Should The Poultry Sector Respond To Activism? // The Communications Battle – How Should The Pig Sector Respond?
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Annie Davis – George Veterinary Group
Annie qualified from Glasgow University in 1997 and joined the George as a pig practitioner in August of that year. Her main areas of interest are farm health and welfare, and the improvement of pig fertility on farm. She has become heavily involved in the continuing development and education of farm workers and managers, performing a key role in on-farm training schemes. She has previously been President of the Pig Veterinary Society. Annie is also a Director at the George Veterinary Group.
Forum: Predict, Prevent, Protect: Year-round Disease Risk & Biosecurity
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Barney Kay, Agriculture Director, Noble Foods (Wed)
Forum: Egg Outlook – Helping You Plan Ahead
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Becca Veale, Pathway Liaison Group Lead (Wed)
Forum: What’s New With The Animal Health And Welfare Pathway?
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Carrie McDermid, Head of Marketing, AHDB (Wed)
Carrie leads the development of strategic campaigns promoting meat and dairy as part of a healthy, balanced diet. She is dedicated to showcasing the high-quality products of British farmers collaborating with major retailers to activate in-store campaigns, seek innovative ways to enhance product presentation, and drive consumer engagement.
Forum: Beyond The Sunday Roast: The Recipes Transforming Perceptions Of Pork – Ahdb
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Charlotte Evans, Pig Account Manager, ABN (Chair)
Charlotte entered the agricultural industry with an applied science background, holding a BSc in Biological Sciences and a PhD specialising in infectious diseases in pigs, funded by BPEX (now AHDB). She also gained practical on-farm experience working on a 1,000-sow pig unit. She went on to spend eight years with BPEX, working directly with pig producers on knowledge exchange and innovation and trial programmes. Since then, her career has focused on feed application to optimise on-farm performance, with roles including Pig Technical Advisor at ForFarmers, Swine Species Expert at DSM, and currently Account Manager at ABN. Charlotte is passionate about combining the technical and commercial aspects of pig production, working closely with feed mills, pig producers and business owners to solve problems and support the achievement of business targets.
Forum: Pig Outlook – Predictions For The Year Ahead
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Chloe Rodriguez – Galebreaker
Chloe Rodriguez is a qualified Bioveterinary Scientist from Harper Adams University and leads the Animal Welfare team at Galebreaker. Her work focuses on the housing, management, and environmental conditions that shape livestock health and welfare, with a particular emphasis on optimising straw based pig production systems. She specialises in understanding how housing design, ventilation, bedding management, and microclimates influence pig behaviour, health, and overall performance. Chloe is committed to supporting producers with practical, evidence based solutions that integrate seamlessly into day to day farm management. Her and her Team’s goal is to help farmers create stable, high welfare environments where pigs can thrive and producers can get the most from their straw based systems.
Forum: Smarter Temperature Control In Straw-based Finishing: Performance, Welfare And Labour Efficiency
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Chloe Ryan, Editor, Poultry Business (Chair)
Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent nearly two decades writing about the food and farming industry, including the whole supply chain including manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking, travel and learning Ukrainian keep her occupied.
Forums: The Communications Battle – How Should The Poultry Sector Respond To Activism? // Sustainable Farms Need Sustainable People – Women In Agriculture
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David Brass – Lakes Free Range Egg Company
David Brass is the CEO of The Lakes Free Range Egg Company and the recipient of the 2024 RASE Farm of the Future Award, 2025 King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development and the 2026 McDonald’s Sustainability Award. A former RAF pilot who returned to his family’s Cumbrian farm in 1989, David has spent over 25 years pioneering range enrichment and welfare-led production. He has developed industry-leading state-of-the-art facilities with a minimal carbon footprint, utilising advanced data monitoring and innovative building designs. David is a passionate advocate for the principle that environmental excellence and commercial viability go hand in hand.
Forum: Rethinking Pig And Poultry Sheds – Optimising Efficiency And Reducing Emissions
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David Neilson, General Manager – Chicken Agriculture, Avara Foods (Wed)
David Neilson is the General Manager for Chicken Agriculture at Avara foods. He has worked in the industry for 25 years since leaving University with a BSC in Environmental Technology. His first job was as a 16-year-old working in a turkey factory packing turkeys at Christmas. When he graduated, he got a job working on a turkey breeder farm and here he figured out what he wanted to do for a career. After 2 years he got promoted to farm manager. He has done most roles in agriculture over the years.
Forum: Poultry Meat Outlook – Expert Insight For The Year Ahead
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Delyth Lewis-Jones, Head of Environment, AHDB. (WED)
Delyth was appointed Head of Environment for AHDB in March 2023 after spending a number of years as Head of Dairy Development Wales providing strategic and operational insight into the dairy sector in Wales to both Government and industry. The Environment Team covers several areas of work including climate change and net zero (emissions and carbon sequestration), as well as more livestock-specific areas like manure management and diffuse pollution. It’s a large area of work that also supports other AHDB activity e.g. marketing and reputation. She has extensive experience of working with the Agriculture and Food sector (over 25 years) as well as being strongly involved with rural issues and projects. She has a strong strategic and project development, management and evaluation background; as well as having a keen interest in behavioural insights. She also has vast and varied experience of working within both the public and private sector. Delyth originates from a farming background (sheep and beef) and is still very involved with farming in a personal capacity.
Forum: Reducing The Environmental Impact Of Pig Farming On Soil, Water And Slurry To Enhance Reputation
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Dominic Charman – Charman AG
Having worked at AHDB, Cargill and currently as director for Charman Ag., Dom Charman has sector-wide experience working with industry, governmental and non-governmental bodies. Working closely with producers, integrators, technical advisers, and various governing bodies, he focuses on helping businesses troubleshoot and optimise operational efficiency for economic performance, giving him a good understanding of the day‑to‑day challenges faced across the sector. With a background in applied science and practical farm support, he brings a balanced perspective that combines scientific insight with real‑world feasibility. Dom is particularly interested in optimising production and reducing environmental impact. With expertise in ammonia emissions and mitigation, housing environments, and ventilation, he has been instrumental in measuring and setting standards for ammonia across agriculture. Dom works with regulators, regularly contributes to technical discussions across the industry and is committed to helping producers adopt innovations that deliver impactful and achievable improvements on farm.
Forum: There Is Something In The Water: New Insights Into Cost-effective Approaches To Ammonia Reduction
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Dr Gina Caplen, DEFRA.
Gina completed her PhD in amperometric immunosensors while part of the livestock engineering group at Silsoe Research Institute and then moved over to the field of farm animal welfare in 2006. Prior to taking up her current position at Defra in 2021 she spent 15 years working as an academic within the Animal Behaviour and Welfare group at Bristol University. Here she undertook research on various projects that linked physiology with behaviour in meat chickens, laying hens, pigs and dairy cattle. Until very recently Gina was the industry link officer for the Animal Welfare Research Network and chaired their stakeholder advisory board.
Forum: Animal Health And Welfare Pathway Policies For Poultry And Eggs
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Dr Marcia Vieira – Jefo Nutrition. Technical Services Specialist, Poultry & Swine
Marcia Vieira is an Animal Scientist with an MSc in Monogastric Nutrition from the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She obtained her PhD in Monogastric Nutrition from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and completed a period as a Visiting Scholar at Auburn University, Alabama, USA. She carried out postdoctoral research in Swine Nutrition at Federal University of Parana, Brazil. Her professional experience covers monogastric animal nutrition and feeding strategies, with particular emphasis on nutrient metabolism, enzyme supplementation, and the use of functional feed additives to support gut health and animal performance. She currently works at Jefo Nutrition Inc as a Technical Specialist for Poultry and Swine. Her responsibilities include; technical advisory support to customers, design, implementation, and data analysis of commercial and applied research trials, as well as the delivery of technical training programmes and scientific presentations.
Forum: Control Pathogens To Feed The Bank Balance – The Next Precision Nutrition Revolution
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Dr Paul Talling, Biosecurity Advisor, Livetec Systems
Paul has built his career in animal welfare, biosecurity and sustainable food production. Raised on a mixed farm, he went on to lecture in agriculture, audit farm assurance and run his own high-welfare poultry business for over 20 years. Now at Livetec, he helps producers reduce disease risk and strengthen resilience.
Forum: Three Practical Steps For Protecting Your Farm From African Swine Fever (asf) – Ahdb
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Dr. Maria Walsh, Global Marketing Director – Swine, dsm-firmenich.
Dr. Maria Walsh holds degrees in Agricultural Science from Univ. College Dublin and Purdue University, US (MSc and PhD) in the area of swine nutrition and health. She has worked in Innovation Science developing feed additive solutions for swine in leading feed additive companies for over 10 years. After joining dsm-firmenich in May 2018, Maria led the Global Innovation team for swine for 2 years before transitioning to her current role of Global Marketing Director for Swine where she is responsible for the development and execution of all global swine strategy for the performance solution swine business.
Forum: Matching Genetic Improvements In Pigs With Nutritional Solutions.
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Dr. Rachel Crowe, Senior Brand Manager – Avian & Swine, Boehringer Ingelheim.
Rachel has worked in the veterinary and animal health industries since 2001. She is a University of Leeds Graduate in Zoology and also completed her PhD in Ethology and Welfare, through the Animal Physiology Dept. at the university. Rachel spent four years in veterinary sales before gaining her CIM Diploma and moving into marketing roles, national and Global, doing hands-on product management and later leading cross-species marketing teams. She has an MBA from the University of Leicester and joined Boehringer Ingelheim in 2021.
Forum: Soundtalks®- Listen To Your Farm.
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Ellie Wotherspoon, Agriculture and Sustainable Sourcing Manager, McDonald’s
Forum: Pig Outlook – Predictions For The Year Ahead
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Eloise Lawlor – Premier Nutrition
Eloise is the Commercial Poultry Nutritionist at Premier Nutrition and is an expert in designing practical, tailored nutrition strategies that help customers and their birds consistently meet their production, health and sustainability goals. Evidence-based and relationship-driven, Eloise combines scientific rigour through her active involvement in UK and European WPSA scientific committees with hands on commercial understanding. Whether dealing with home-mix laying hens, commercial broilers, or speciality projects, Eloise is always focused on ensuring flocks thrive in dynamic and demanding production environments.
Forum: White Layers Gaining Ground: What The Transition Means For Your Flock
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Fabio Brancher, Operational Director, Pilgrims Europe
Forum: Pig Outlook – Predictions For The Year Ahead
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Fergus Howie, Managing Director, Wicks Manor (Wed)
Based in Essex and farming a 220 breed to finish sow herd, processing all farm progeny as well as sourcing in additional Red Tractor UK pork. Fergus has grown the Wicks Manor brand since 1999 to become one of the leading family run field to fork processing business’ in the UK. Customers include UK retail and foodservice as well as international export markets. Fergus is an associate member of the AHDB pork sub-group for marketing, was Chair of Governors for Writtle University College until its merger in February ‘24, is Chair of Essex Agricultural Society and a member of the Worshipful Company of Butchers.
Forum: Unlocking Value: The Global Appetite For Every Part Of The Pig (with Pluck Demo) – Ahdb
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Francesca Green, Animal Health & Welfare Scientist, AHDB
At AHDB Fran manages projects within the livestock sector with a focus on the pork diseases including the Significant Diseases Charter. She has previous experience in the poultry industry as a welfare quality assurance officer and has a BSc in Animal Science (Animal Health and Welfare) from Harper Adams University.
Forum: Three Practical Steps For Protecting Your Farm From African Swine Fever (asf) – Ahdb
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Fred Allen, Allen Farms (Thurs)
Fred is the director of Allen Farms, a mixed farming business operating an indoor 850-sow farrow-to-finish pig enterprise. A multi-award winner at the Pig Awards, he is recognised for his commitment to high standards in pig production and farm management. Fred recently completed Just Farmers media training, sharpening his ability to speak confidently about the pig industry. He is a strong advocate for transparency in food production and believes farmers must take the lead in telling their story. With growing pressure on the sector, Fred is committed to ensuring consumers better understand where their food comes from and how it is responsibly produced.
Forum: The Communications Battle – How Should The Pig Sector Respond?
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Gary Ford, Head of Strategy and Producer Engagement, BFREPA (Chair)
Forum: Fairness In The Egg Supply Chain – What It Means For Producers. Plus Meeting The Environmental Challenge – Bfrepa
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Georgina Phillips – Phileo Lesaffre UK & Ireland
With a strong scientific background and a passion for animal welfare, Georgina supports Phileo’s poultry customers across the UK and Ireland and pig producers in England, Scotland and Wales. After graduating from the University of Leeds with an integrated Master’s in Zoology, her research centred on weaned piglet nutrition and gut health, including alternatives to zinc oxide to reduce antimicrobial use. Prior to joining Phileo, Georgina spent over three years in the livestock premix industry, offering formulation and technical advice across all species. She’s particularly interested in the relationship between nutrition, gut microbiology and welfare in monogastric systems, and how this connects with consumer perception of British farming.
Forum: Rethinking Performance Without Traditional Inputs: A Gut Health-first Approach In A ‘new Normal’
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Gordon Hickman, Head of Exotic Disease Control, DEFRA
Gordon is Joint Head of exotic disease control in Defra, where he is responsible for preparedness, policy and legislation for exotic notifiable diseases, new and emerging disease threats and surveillance policy. This includes policy preparedness and response to disease outbreaks such as bluetongue, foot and mouth disease and avian influenza. Gordon has an honours degree in agriculture from Reading University. He joined Defra in 2004 having spent 20 years as an agricultural adviser with ADAS.He was awarded an OBE in January 2024 for services to animal health.
Forum: Avian Influenza – Meeting The Challenge
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Hannah Cargill, Avara Foods
Forum: Sustainable Farms Need Sustainable People – Women In Agriculture
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Helen Ovens, Livestock Consultant, ADAS.
Helen is a consultant with 25 years wide-ranging experience of rural development and agriculture, focussing on supporting agricultural businesses through change, with a particular interest in livestock production systems. A farm carbon emissions BASIS qualified adviser, Helen is experienced in the identification of emissions sources and carbon reduction/mitigation action planning on farms in the UK. Helen has used a range of carbon footprinting tools to help farmers with action planning in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Current carbon work includes farm advice funded via the Future Farming Resilience Fund and supporting farms participating in the EU Climate Smart Farming programme. Trusted by growers and farmers for generations, ADAS is one of the most recognisable names in UK agriculture. Established over 75 years ago, ADAS delivers practical, sustainable land management and production system solutions. Clients include small and large farming enterprises, landowners, agricultural organisations, multi-national corporations, and government bodies. ADAS offers an extensive range of independent agricultural services at all levels along the food and land management supply chain. Work includes applied research to enhance farm productivity, on-farm advice to improve farm profitability as well as horizon scanning policy work for the food and government sectors on food security, resource protection and land management.
Forum: Reducing The Environmental Impact Of Pig Farming On Soil, Water And Slurry To Enhance Reputation
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Henry Gibbs, Free Range Egg Producer. (WED)
Henry is from Shropshire, and diversified the farm in 2019 to include a free-range laying unit, supplying eggs to a national packer as well as packing direct to local retailers and on-farm through their vending machines. Henry joined the NFU Poultry Industry Programme to meet like-minded people and develop his knowledge within the poultry sector. With poultry being such a fast-moving sector, and technology advancing quicker than ever, Henry sees on-farm innovation as crucial to remaining at the forefront of the industry.
Forum: Supporting Today’s Generation, Inspiring The Next
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Jack Gawthrop – Commercial Manager, East Green Energy
Jack works with both new and long-standing clients to deliver commercial and industrial scale Solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems. His role spans business development and the introduction of new technologies, ensuring the company stays ahead in a fast moving sector. Jack oversees projects from initial enquiry through to commissioning, delivering installations across the UK, with particular experience in the agricultural sector.
Forum: The Growing Role Of Battery Storage In Strengthening Solar Performance For Pig & Poultry Units
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James Baxter, BFREPA Chairman and Farmer
James Baxter farms 192,000 hens at Glenhead Farm with his family on the south-west tip of Scotland, supplying Noble Foods. He has embraced renewable energy with a significant investment in technology to dry hen manure while using the heat produced in the process to heat his poultry sheds. James is the Chairman of BFREPA and also sits on the BEIC board as Vice-Chairman.
Forum: Fairness In The Egg Supply Chain – What It Means For Producers. Plus Meeting The Environmental Challenge – Bfrepa
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James Baxter, Free-range Egg Farmer, Glenhead Farm.
James Baxter farms 192,000 hens at Glenhead Farm with his family on the south-west tip of Scotland, supplying Noble Foods. He has embraced renewable energy with a significant investment in technology to dry hen manure while using the heat produced in the process to heat his poultry sheds.
Forum: Building The Future Of Livestock Protection: Biosecurity In Your Hands.
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John Bates, Senior Media Relations Manager, AHDB (host)
John is a communications advisor to senior public and private sector managers having worked closely with a range of Government departments and corporate organisations on high profile, sensitive topics. His experience of crisis management and navigating ‘hard news’ is where he adds value to AHDB’s media relations team. Away from AHDB, JB delivers training and coaching in effective communication to teams and senior individuals to enhance and protect the reputations of those experiencing close media attention.
Forum: Unlocking Value: The Global Appetite For Every Part Of The Pig (with Pluck Demo) – Ahdb
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Jordi Mora, Global Technical Services Director, Eco Animal Health, Spain
Jordi is a Spanish veterinarian with an MSc in Pig Production and more than 30 years’ experience in the pig sector. His career spans technical support, commercial development and operations management. Since joining ECO Animal Health in 2014, he has led the global technical services team, helping pig and poultry businesses improve herd health, performance and resilience. Previously, Jordi was Global Production Manager at Hypor, overseeing breeding programmes across multiple countries.
Forum: Protecting Pigs And Livelihoods: Industry Approaches To Asf Prevention And Preparedness – Ahdb
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Julian Sparrey – Livetec Systems
Julian is an Agricultural Engineer with more than 30 years’ experience in livestock systems, disease control and contingency planning. Since 2001, he has specialised in outbreak response and biosecurity design, co-founding Livetec Systems in 2010 alongside Gordon Samet. Known for his practical, engineering-led approach, Julian has developed high-welfare disease control solutions, structural biosecurity systems and emergency response frameworks used across the livestock sector. His work spans abattoir design, humane slaughter technologies, animal transport and large-scale outbreak management. Julian has collaborated with major livestock businesses, government agencies and veterinary institutions to design systems that improve preparedness and operational resilience during disease events. This hands-on experience has given him a deep understanding of how outbreaks develop and how risk can be reduced through better planning, infrastructure and decision-making. He continues to advise producers on strengthening biosecurity and preparing for emerging threats across both pig and poultry sectors.
Forum: Predict, Prevent, Protect: Year-round Disease Risk & Biosecurity
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Julian Sparrey, Technical Director, Livetec Systems
Julian Sparrey is a Chartered Agricultural Engineer and a respected leader in agricultural biosecurity. Regularly working collaboratively with colleagues across the UK and Europe, Julian is widely renowned for his knowledge of exotic livestock diseases and the vital role true biosecurity plays in managing them. Having also worked in conjunction with government and top UK Veterinary Universities, and with industry experience of livestock slaughter systems and on-farm depopulation solutions, Julian will dive into the lessons we have learned from outbreaks of avian influenza, and unveil a new revolutionary digital platform designed to support the poultry and pig sectors, enhancing their preventative measures and preparedness for the threat of disease.
Forums: Building The Future Of Livestock Protection: Biosecurity In Your Hands. // Keeping Asf Out: What Does The Asf Contingency Plan Look Like And How Can You Play Your Part In Protecting The National Herd?
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Justin Coleman, Poultry Business Unit Director, Pilgrim’s Europe Limited (Thurs)
Justin joined the business 2014, driving innovation and continuous improvement across the agriculture supply base working closely with our Agri team, customers and farming community, being appointed Agriculture Director in 2018. Taking responsibility for processing in 2024, he was appointed Poultry Business Unit Director. Justin has extensive international experience working with farmers supplying retail customers, previously as General Manager-Produce, East Africa with Finlay’s Horticulture Kenya Ltd.
Forum: Poultry Meat Outlook – Expert Insight For The Year Ahead
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Kate Abbey, Marketing Manager, AHDB. (THUR)
Kate is an experienced marketing professional with 20 years of industry experience across numerous industries including education, manufacturing and local government. As Marketing Manager within AHDB, Kate has played a pivotal role in strategic marketing initiatives, supporting the delivery of the key marketing campaigns for pork, managing the successful launch of the new Love Pork website and overseeing the always-on social media activity. Kate has been instrumental in driving the Gen-Z focused campaign for Love Pork, an initiative aimed at expanding the reach, awareness and engagement with the younger demographic of consumers (18-25 year olds). Collaborating with renowned foodie platform Tasty UK, Kate has developed a social media campaign designed to educate and inspire Gen-Z consumers, while encouraging them to consider fresh pork in their purchasing decisions.
Forum: Inspiring Younger People To Eat Pork: What Do We Know About Consumers Of The Future And How Do We Reach Them?
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Katie Jarvis, Chief Policy Advisor, National Pig Association (Chair)
Katie leads on health and welfare policy, having taken up her first role with the organisation in late 2023. Before the NPA, Katie worked for the NFU for several years in the UK and Brussels in both member-facing and policy roles. She comes from a dairy farm in South Wales and volunteers with farming mental health charity RABI.
Forum: Three Practical Steps For Protecting Your Farm From African Swine Fever (asf) – Ahdb
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Keith Norris – Phileo Lesaffre UK & Ireland
Keith supports Phileo’s swine customers across the UK and Ireland, providing technical expertise and on-farm support to feed mills, pre-mixers and farmers. With a BSc in Agriculture from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and hands-on experience working on pig farms, Keith combines practical knowledge with a strong technical background. Originally from a sheep farm in Donegal, his lifelong involvement with livestock and time spent in his family’s animal feed business sparked his career in animal nutrition. Since joining Phileo, Keith has focused on technical swine health and nutrition, including coordinating field research and supporting farmers, nutritionists, vets and feed and mineral manufacturers to improve herd performance at farm level.
Forum: Rethinking Performance Without Traditional Inputs: A Gut Health-first Approach In A ‘new Normal’
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Kevin Doyle – Phileo Lesaffre UK & Ireland
Kevin Doyle brings over a decade of experience in animal nutrition, grounded in a strong practical background from his family’s mixed farm producing Irish Sport Horses, sheep, beef, and tillage. A graduate of University College Dublin with a B.Agr.Sc., Kevin spent two years in the livestock premix industry before joining Phileo. Initially working in technical sales across Great Britain, he now leads technical support across all species in the U.K. and Irish markets. Kevin has a keen interest in the gut microbiome and its impact on animal performance, combining scientific insight with hands-on expertise.
Forum: Rethinking Performance Without Traditional Inputs: A Gut Health-first Approach In A ‘new Normal’
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Lauren Turner, Lead Animal Health & Welfare Scientist, AHDB
Lauren joined AHDB in 2017, having previously worked for BOCM Pauls. A graduate of Harper Adams University, she was the first scholar funded by the pig industry. In her current role as Lead Animal Health and Welfare Scientist at AHDB, Lauren oversees a wide range of projects aimed at advancing best practice and innovation in the sector. Her passion lies in working directly with the supply chain, fostering collaboration to improve animal health, welfare, and productivity across the industry.
Forum: Three Practical Steps For Protecting Your Farm From African Swine Fever (asf) – Ahdb
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Lewis Acred, Senior Policy Adviser, DEFRA
Lewis has been leading work reviewing fairness in the supply chain in the egg and fresh produce sectors since June 2023. He joined the department in 2020, initially leading on reforms to Countryside Stewardship and then working on the 2022 Government Food Strategy. Lewis previously worked at the Department for International Trade, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Department for Work and Pensions, having joined the Civil Service from the private sector in 2017.
Forum: Fairness In The Egg Supply Chain – What It Means For Producers. Plus Meeting The Environmental Challenge – Bfrepa
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Liz Warner, Farmer and Consultant. (THUR)
Liz has been involved in the poultry industry for over 16 years, currently farming in partnership with her husband on a tenanted farm in Devon, where for the last 10 years they have been producing duck eggs and quail eggs. Prior to this Liz worked for an egg packer, building up her knowledge base by working with their free-range egg producers. Liz participated in the NFU’s Poultry Industry Programme and following that joined the NFU’s Next Generation Forum before serving on the NFU Poultry Board between 2022 and 2024. Liz now works as a farming consultant alongside her farming enterprise, having left primary poultry production in 2023.
Forum: Supporting Today’s Generation, Inspiring The Next
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Lizzie Wilson, Chief Executive, National Pig Association.
Lizzie has worked in the UK pig industry for over 20 years and has a thorough grounding in practical pig production, as well as policy and legislation. She is responsible for supply chain engagement, liaising with members and government on environmental and sustainability policy areas and specialises in crisis management with regard to animal rights activism and anti-farming rhetoric.
Forum: Pig Farm Assurance Schemes – What The Future Holds
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Mandy Nevel, Head of Animal Health & Welfare, AHDB
Mandy has had over 30 years of veterinary experience in farm animal work. Initially in farm practice, she then completed a PhD and spent time developing vaccines for farm animals. She established a veterinary pathology service and was a senior lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College. Her expertise, and research focus, is in diseases of farm animals and their control including responsible antibiotic use.
Forum: Protecting Pigs And Livelihoods: Industry Approaches To Asf Prevention And Preparedness – Ahdb
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Mark Gorton, Managing Director, Traditional Norfolk Poultry (Wed)
Founder of Traditional Norfolk Poultry. With no farming background my ambition was to become a farmer, so I bought a few chickens and turkeys and grew them in my parents back garden in a way that I felt was nice. Free range, windows, perches, enrichment etc was how I thought it would be done but little did I know that back in the 1980’s I was ploughing a lonely furrow. But this proved successful and I followed my dream into the world of farming. Fast forward a few (or more) years and I have built a successful poultry farming and processing business having never deviated from my original growing methods. Today we supply all of the best high street retailers with their free range and organic chickens and turkeys and of course our iconic Norfolk Black Chicken which we bred and developed.
Forum: Poultry Meat Outlook – Expert Insight For The Year Ahead
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Mark Haighton, Pig Procurement, Karro Food Group.
Mark has worked in the UK pig processing sector since 1998 when he started at Geo Adams & Sons Ltd in Spalding, initially as a livestock buyer, before the company was bought out by Tulip and subsequently Pilgrim’s UK. Since January 2024 he has been part of the Sofina Foods Pig Procurement team, based in Malton, North Yorks. Throughout his 26yr career in the industry, Mark has worked across the entire supply chain working closely with farmers, processing factories and discerning retailers to drive the quality and sales of British pork and to promote its reputation both in the UK and overseas. Between 2010 & 2023 Mark sat on the Red Tractor Pig Sector board and has recently finished his 6 year term on the AHDB Pig Sector council helping to represent the interests of the UK processor and producer in the ever-changing world of legislative and consumer requirements.
Forum: Pig Outlook – Predictions For The Year Ahead
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Mark Haighton, Pork Sector Director, AHDB (Chair)
Mark holds over 25 years of experience in the pig sector. He began his career as a livestock buyer at George Adams & Sons before moving to Tulip, Pilgrim’s UK and latterly Sofina Foods, gaining first-hand insight across the supply chain. He has also contributed extensively to industry governance, serving 13 years on the Red Tractor Pig Sector Board and over six years on the AHDB Pork Sector Council.
Forum: Protecting Pigs And Livelihoods: Industry Approaches To Asf Prevention And Preparedness – Ahdb
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Mark Kempsell, Agricultural Specialist, Coop. (WED)
Forum: Pig Outlook – Predictions For The Year Ahead
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Martin Eccles, Trade Butchery Manager – AHDB
A butcher with over 40 years’ experience, Martin started his career in a high street retail environment where his passion for his craft was fuelled. From there he moved to one of the UK`s largest processing companies producing beef and lamb, gaining an understanding of demand for high quality products and how to utilize the carcass to maximise its value. Martin has a strong understanding across all species and strives to improve carcase utilisation, knowledge transfer and consumer satisfaction. He supports AHDB colleagues at international trade shows showcasing Quality Meat from Britain.
Forum: Unlocking Value: The Global Appetite For Every Part Of The Pig (with Pluck Demo) – Ahdb
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Martin Jenkins, Defra Lead on Animal Health and Welfare Pathway
Martin Jenkins leads the development of future farming policy to improve the health and welfare of farmed animals in England; the enforcement of animal health and welfare standards; and oversees the secretariat for the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England, who are "the principal source of departmental advice to Defra ministers on all strategic health and welfare matters relating to all kept animals in England.” Martin is a management professional and a Prince 2 Practitioner. He has held several leadership roles both within Defra and in the private sector.
Forum: What’s New With The Animal Health And Welfare Pathway?
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Matt Donald, Pig & Poultry Farmer. (WED)
Matt is a third-generation pig and poultry farmer form North Yorkshire whose family have had broiler breeders producing fertile hatching eggs for over 60 years. As a member of the NFU national poultry board and a former NFU Poultry Industry Programme participant, Matt is keen to get more young people involved with poultry and farms with the aim to produce more from less, alongside enhancing the local environment. The poultry sector's resilience, aiming to maintain its environmentally sustainable credentials and producing safe and affordable food for everyone are some of the things Matt sees as key priorities for the sector.
Forum: Supporting Today’s Generation, Inspiring The Next
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Nick Allen, Chief Executive, British Egg Industry Council
Forum: Egg Outlook – Helping You Plan Ahead
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Nick Major – Red Tractor Poultry Sector Board Chair
Nick has 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 ForFamers’ sustainability strategy. Nick is also a Senior Adviser at Wild Search and sat on the Centre for Innovation Excellence’s board prior to the merger with the UK AgriTech Centre. He has held numerous non-executive, trustee and advisory roles, served as Chairman 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 also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Farmers.
Forum: Strengthening Red Tractor To Support Resilient Uk Pig And Poultry Industries
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Nicola Dodd, Senior Marketing Manager, AHDB (Thurs)
Nic has worked for the AHDB domestic marketing team for 15 years, starting within Eblex on activities for Beef & Lamb. Her current role sits in the Pork and Dairy sectors. She has worked across each sector and been involved in a wide range of effective marketing activities targeting different audiences, across a variety of channels, generating campaigns and content that has driven positive change.
Forum: Beyond The Sunday Roast: The Recipes Transforming Perceptions Of Pork – Ahdb
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Paul Flynn, East Durham College. (THUR)
Based at East Durham College farm, Paul together with Farm Manager Keith Cook and his team are pursuing high animal welfare and sustainability goals, producing pigs on a home-fed, three-week system. Around 200 students work alongside the farm and teaching staff. The college enjoys visits each week from the farming industry, the wider education sector, local and regional groups. The unit was recently featured by Pig World Magazine: ‘Inspiring and Educating the Next Generation.’ This is a research-ready resource for anyone wanting to improve pig production and a template for anyone wanting to start a pig unit as part of an integrated farm.
Forum: Inspiring Younger People To Eat Pork: What Do We Know About Consumers Of The Future And How Do We Reach Them?
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Philipp Reichardtt, Sales Manager, Pyreg.
Forum: Extracting Value From Poultry Manure And Agricultural Waste Streams – Pyrolysis – Biochar – Corcs – Heat/power Generation – Sustainability
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Ralf Bishop, Premier Nutrition (Chair)
Ralph joined the Premier Nutrition poultry team as a commercial nutritionist in August 2020 and in January 2023 became poultry nutrition and innovation manager. Previously, Ralph spent five and a half years at Lloyds Animal Feeds working as a multi species nutritionist and before this studied biology and aquaculture at the University of Plymouth, graduating with an MSc in 2014. Ralph and the Premier Nutrition poultry team are responsible for offering technical support to the poultry industry focused on nutrition, formulation, milling and overall poultry performance both within the UK and abroad. Ralph is particularly passionate about optimising all aspects of poultry performance and precision nutrition to unlock the potential of modern genetics in the context of welfare and sustainability.
Forum: Poultry Meat Outlook – Expert Insight For The Year Ahead
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Robert Gooch, CEO, British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA)
Robert joined BFREPA as Director of Policy in 2011 and was appointed Chief Executive in 2014. Prior to that he worked in agricultural policy consultancy, including ten years as a lobbyist and analyst in Brussels. He is a farmer’s son and has degrees in agricultural science, agricultural economics and in business administration.
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Roger Stones – NFU Energy
Roger Stones is the Technical Lead at NFU Energy, specialising in sustainable energy practices for the agricultural and horticultural sectors. As a Lead Assessor for the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), Roger conducts comprehensive energy audits and renewable feasibility assessments to help farms reduce their carbon footprint. His expertise lies in identifying "hidden" energy waste and implementing high-return technologies, such as heat recovery and solar PV, to ensure farming businesses remain financially resilient during the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Forum: Rethinking Pig And Poultry Sheds – Optimising Efficiency And Reducing Emissions
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Roz Reynolds, Head of Strategic Operations, Education and Nutrition, AHDB.
Roz is a qualified marketer, with extensive experience of delivering marketing campaigns and strategic projects. She started her career in the meat industry and joined AHDB in the Cereals & Oilseeds sector where she led activity for marketing, exports, and key supply chain projects. Since 2018, Roz has led AHDB’s education activities, establishing partnerships to jointly deliver impactful programmes designed to educate the next generation of consumers.
Forum: Inspiring Younger People To Eat Pork: What Do We Know About Consumers Of The Future And How Do We Reach Them?
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Ryan Darkin
Forum: Egg Outlook – Helping You Plan Ahead
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Sam Drummond (Wed)
Forum: Poultry Meat Outlook – Expert Insight For The Year Ahead
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Shane McAuliffe, McAuliffe Farms (Wed)
Shane is a third generation Irish pig and beef farmer with an academic background in pig health and welfare. McAuliffe Farms consists of 4 modern high health farms compromising 2000 sows farrow-to-finish, including Ireland's first loose lactation farm. Shane is passionate about engaging with the public to show how livestock production systems align with the Sustainable Development Goals. With a strong focus on on-farm R&D, he also works part-time as a lecturer, consultant and PhD researcher. Shane is also Chairperson of Bóthar, the Irish NGO that enables families and communities in the Global South to overcome hunger and poverty through improved livestock production.
Forum: The Communications Battle – How Should The Pig Sector Respond?
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Sharon Chisholm, Environment Agency
Sharon is an experienced environmental specialist with over 25 years working across agriculture, both in the UK and abroad. Currently serving as an Agri-Food Industry Advisor at the Environment Agency, Sharon brings deep expertise in environmental regulation, pollution prevention, and sustainable farming practices. Her career has included extensive work with farmers, advisors, and the wider industry to promote best practice and compliance with environmental standards. More recently, she has worked with the poultry sector on manure and nutrient management and is currently collaborating with BFREPA to develop environmental guidance for free-range egg producers. Sharon holds BASIS Soil and Water and FACTS Nutrient Management qualifications, reflecting her strong interest in soil health and nutrient stewardship. Her practical insights and strategic perspective make her a valuable contributor to discussions on sustainable agriculture and environmental resilience.
Forum: Fairness In The Egg Supply Chain – What It Means For Producers. Plus Meeting The Environmental Challenge – Bfrepa
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Stewart Houston – Pigs Sector Board Chair, Red Tractor
Stewart has served as a non-exec member of the Food Standards Agency Board. He was also chair of the British Pig Executive and a member of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. In addition, he has been on the Scottish Agriculture College board and was Executive Director of the National Pig Association. He is today a non-exec member of Defra’s Animal Health and Welfare Board, England which advises ministers on policy. Stewart was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2007 for services to the pig industry.
Forum: Strengthening Red Tractor To Support Resilient Uk Pig And Poultry Industries
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Stewart Houston, Pathway Liaison Group Chair (Thurs)
Stewart was a non-executive member of the Animal Health and Welfare board for England (AHWBE) for 10 years, specialising in animal health and welfare, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) and the EU Animal Health Law. For many years he was a leading figure at the National Pig Association (NPA) and a former BPEX (now AHDB Pigs) chair from 2003 to 2015.
Forum: What’s New With The Animal Health And Welfare Pathway?
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Stewart Houston, Pig Sector Lead, AHWP
Stewart was a non-executive member of the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England (AHWBE) for 10 years, specialising in animal health and welfare, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) and the EU Animal Health Law. He was a leading figure for many years at The National Pig Association (NPA) and a former BPEX (now AHDB Pigs) chair (2003 to 2015). Stewart is a current member of the Assured Food Standards Board and remains heavily involved in codesigning the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, chairing Defra’s Steering, Communications and Engagement, PRRS and Pig Pathway Project Groups.
Forum: Animal Health And Welfare Pathway Policies For Pigs
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Stuart Bird – Bird Bros Ltd
Director at C&P Bird Brothers Ltd. Producers and packers of Lion Quality free range and enriched colony eggs.
Forum: Predict, Prevent, Protect: Year-round Disease Risk & Biosecurity
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Susanna Morris, Senior Trade Development Manager – AHDB
With more than 20 years’ experience in international marketing, having worked in multiple international companies within food packaging, Susana leads on market on red meat development activity in the Americas. She is responsible for promoting British product to key markets through a coordinated and targeted export programme. As part of her role, she attends leading international trade shows to showcase as well as hosting outward and inward missions to explore potential opportunities for UK exporters.
Forum: Unlocking Value: The Global Appetite For Every Part Of The Pig (with Pluck Demo) – Ahdb
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Tess Wright, Animal Health and Welfare Infrastructure Grants Policy Lead, DEFRA.
Tess Wright leads the Defra policy team responsible for developing animal health and welfare (AHW) infrastructure grants, which are part of Defra’s AHW Pathway and delivered through the Farming Investment Fund. Tess works with farmers, vets and other industry experts to co-design AHW grants, including the Calf Housing for Health and Welfare Grant which launched in 2023.
Forum: Animal Health And Welfare Pathway Policies For Poultry And Eggs
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Tessa Seymour, ABN (Chair)
Joining the industry in 2012, Tessa has built a strong and diverse career, holding roles at British Sugar, Germains, and 2 Agriculture. She is passionate about working closely with customers to ensure the delivery of high-quality feed and exceptional service across ABN, Sportsman Game Feed, and Sullivans Poultry Group. Tessa believes that by collaborating with industry partners, it is possible to sustainably deliver products and services that support the long-term future of farming and agriculture.
Forum: Avian Influenza – Meeting The Challenge
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Teun van de Braak – Hendrix Genetics
Teun van de Braak is Director of Global Technical Services and Customer Support at Hendrix Genetics Layers. He joined the company in 2010 after graduating from Wageningen University with a Master’s degree in Poultry Breeding and Genetics, complemented by a minor in Business Management and Marketing. Teun began his career as a geneticist and now works at the interface of genetics, nutrition, flock management, and market requirements. He leads global technical service, product management, data strategy, and communication, supporting egg producers worldwide with practical, field driven expertise. A key focus of his work is translating production data and field experience into breeding priorities that deliver value under commercial conditions.
Forum: White Layers Gaining Ground: What The Transition Means For Your Flock
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Twan Van Gerne – Vencomatic. Business Consultant, Layers.
Twan van Gerwe is a veterinarian and poultry specialist with a global track record in turning science and data into practical results on farm. With a DVM and PhD, he has worked across nutrition, health, and flock management, helping producers improve performance, welfare, and long-term sustainability. His career spans senior technical and leadership roles, research, product development, and hands on field support. Today, Twan focuses on how artificial intelligence and largescale data can give farmers earlier warnings, clearer insights and better decisions. Known for translating complex science into straightforward, real-world strategies, he regularly speaks at international events and works closely with producers to solve everyday challenges with modern technology.
Forum: Ai In Poultry Innovation
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Ursula McCormack – dsm-firmenich
Ursula is a senior scientist in the Digital Consultancy & Solutions team at dsm-firmenich’s Animal Nutrition and Health (ANH). In her role, she specialises in translating complex farm data into actionable insights, linking biomarkers to key production parameters and on-farm challenges. Based at the headquarters in Kaiseraugst, Switzerland and originally from Ireland, Ursula joined ANH in June 2019. Since then, she has contributed to projects focused on developing innovative feed additives and exploring nutritional solutions to enhance swine nutrition and health. Prior to joining ANH, Ursula did a Post-Doc in the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Northern Ireland focusing on odour and ammonia emissions from pigs and poultry. Ursula has a PhD in the topic of swine microbiome from Teagasc (the Irish Agriculture and Food Safety Authority) and Waterford Institute of Technology in 2017, and a Bachelors degree in Animal Science from University College Dublin in 2013.
Forum: Making The Invisible, Visible – How Biomarkers And Data Driven Insights Can Optimise On-farm Productivity
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Will Lea, Country Fresh Pullets & NFU Poultry Board (Wed)
I have worked with poultry since a young age on the family farm in Shropshire where we produce free range eggs. I since left the home farm to explore other things and further my career in poultry. Following graduation from Harper Adams in 2017 and joined Country Fresh Pullets/Lloyds Animal Feeds. My roles have changed in the company during that time from starting as production manager on the rearing side to my current role within the company which is looking after the compliance side of things and policy changes. I work within many forums across industry with other poultry businesses and in more recent years have become involved with the NFU’s National Poultry Board as well as becoming chair of the Midlands Regional Board. The poultry sector is a fast moving and exciting one to be involved in and there is never a dull moment!
Forum: Egg Outlook – Helping You Plan Ahead
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Will Raw, Poultry Producer.
Will operates a family run mixed farm in North Yorkshire, which consists of 250 acres of combinable crops and 230,000 broilers, supplying the independent market growing for Chesterfield Poultry. Will is the vice chair of the NFUs National Poultry board. He also sits on the Red Tractor Technical advisory committee for poultry and DEFRA’s animal health and welfare technical steering group.
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Zanita Markham – AHDB
Zanita Markham is the Sustainability and Engagement Manager at AHDB, where she leads technical advice on pig housing and environmental improvements. With a degree in Environmental Management and years of experience managing ammonia emission trials, Zanita is a key link between producers and regulators. She was recently honoured with the Chris Brant Award for her dedicated contribution to the sustainability of the pig sector. Her work focuses on making future technologies -such as slurry cooling and green ammonia harvesting - accessible and practical for UK producers.
Forum: Rethinking Pig And Poultry Sheds – Optimising Efficiency And Reducing Emissions
