Committee Details as at 8th September 2009

HUW BOWLES (OMSCO) - Chair of the OTB

Huw Bowles is the Chief Operating Officer of OMSCo, which is the UK’s largest organic milk co-operative and collects and markets milk from more than 400 organic dairy farms. This represents around 70% of the UK supply and as a result most supermarket own-label and branded organic dairy products use OMSCo milk.

Huw joined OMSCo in 2004 as Finance and Operations director and is now responsible for all day-to-day operational issues. Prior to OMSCo, Huw studied Agriculture at Reading University before qualifying as a chartered accountant and then working as a management consultant with KPMG. One of Huw’s projects was to help set up an international internet company which he later joined and helped to steer it through to profitability.

Huw joined the OTB as he saw the need for an independent body to voice the interests of commercial organisations operating in the organic sector. Huw hopes that the OTB will also help to develop greater trading relationships between organic organisations and also enable them to share experiences and learnings.

Huw also sees the need for a co-ordinated approach to ensure that the benefits of organic produce are clearly communicated to consumers and feels that the OTB should play a major part in this communication.

Huw is married with two sons aged five and eight and he likes to relax by refereeing rugby in Bristol!

BOB KENNARD (GRAIG PRODUCERS)

After an agricultural degree, Bob spent 10 years in agricultural management in the UK and Africa, followed by tropical agricultural consultancy for international organisations. With his wife Carolyn, he established Graig Farm Organics on their small farm on the Welsh borders in 1988. The wide range of organic food was sold by mail order, through independent retailers, and a farm shop. The company won many awards, including 25 Organic Food Awards, and was sold in March 2009.

Bob was co-leader of a campaign which saved the UK’s smaller abattoirs for which he was awarded BBC Radio 4 Food Programme’s Campaigner Award in 2001. He has served on a number of Welsh Assembly committees which have helped to establish a strong organic sector in Wales.

He is Managing Director of Graig Producers (GP), a collaborative organic livestock marketing organisation, which started in 1995. Now with some 700 farming members across Wales, the Borders, SW England, and Scotland (where it manages Caledonian Organics Co-op), GP markets its members’ livestock to processors for the major retailers.

CHANTELLE LUDSKI (fresh! NATURALLY ORGANIC)

Chantelle Ludski founded and still runs fresh! Naturally Organic. fresh! Naturally Organic started out in life as an organic café some 8 years ago and grew up to be a gigantic kitchen making damn fine organic sandwiches, salads, pies & quiches. Chantelle says she used to be a lawyer but she’s OK now……

The move into organic started as a conscious consumer choice as Chantelle became increasingly concerned about what was going into our foods – weird E numbers, additives and colours that don’t even belong in a science lab, much less our food – and the way it way being produced – pesticides, hormone boosts in livestock and so on. Organic food was and still is a safe haven from all of that and is increasingly the best option for a sustainable food future.

Chantelle joined the OTB committee because there seemed to be a vacuum in terms of what the industry needs by way of support and what was on offer. In much the same way that the meat & dairy industries, to name but two, have trade boards, she believes that the organic industry is no less deserving. A single, concerted voice is needed to lobby government, address the needs of industry members and protect and promote the organic industry.

PATRICK O’FLAHERTY (RDA ORGANIC)

Patrick co-founded RDA Organic after recognising the consumer demand for an organic option in the fresh juice and smoothie sector. Following an upbringing within the organic farming world and the principles embedded therein, launching an organic brand was a natural entry point for Patrick into the Food & Drink sector. By developing a sustainable working practice with taste, health and organic at the core of the business, Patrick’s commitment and passion for growth in the organic sector was fuelled further.

This desire to drive the industry forward motivated Patrick to work from 2002 as a committee member of the Soil Association Processor Liaison Group which was where the idea of the OTB was conceived and now believes the OTB is perfectly placed to work with all the certification bodies and to represent all areas of the organic industry. Patrick really believes that the OTB will be the catalyst for all organic businesses to cooperate under one association to stimulate and benefit the industry.

ALEX PEARCE (LANGRIDGE ORGANIC PRODUCTS)

Alex started working at Langridge in 1995 when asked by his uncle Bernard Govier (company founder) if he could help him out by driving a van for a couple of days. This spurred Alex into starting his own home delivery box scheme, Just Organics, in and around his home town of Wokingham in Berkshire. Combining the home delivery company with a wholesale business soon proved to be just too big a time commitment and a decision had to be made as to which way to take the business. Wholesale won out and the Langridge Organic Products that we know today started its journey. After a few changes of premises Langridge moved into its existing site in May 1997 and has continued to grow to its present day position turning over around £8m p.a and employing 25 staff.

Alex is completely committed to the entire concept of organic farming and takes great pride in seeing the farmers he works with prosper and grow in what is a difficult sector to work in.

For a long time Alex has felt the industry lacked a voice that spoke without other interests. The formation of the OTB was an obvious answer to this problem and Alex is delighted to have been invited to sit on the committee representing the fresh produce sector.

IAN PRICE (TRIODOS)

Ian has over thirty years banking expertise, including three years spent providing financial services to marginalised communities in the West Midlands. He still retains his involvement with the Prince’s Trust, some 15 years after his first voluntary role. Prior to joining Triodos, Ian worked for rural finance specialists FAF for four years.

Contact: 0117 980 9739 or at business@triodos.co.uk

ANDREW POULTON (POLUTION ORGANIC) www.be-organic.co.uk

Andrew has spent 40 years in the Fresh produce Industry working from market sales to the direct sales of a wide range of products .
In May 2002 he left an International  company, Dole, where he had been a trading director for 28 years  with special responsibility for the citrus sector  All trade was for conventional produce .

He then started his own company with his wife, working from home. In 2004  he became the sole UK distributor and marketing arm for a  group of South African farms for citrus , top fruits and stone fruits. By 2005 the company was virtually dealing with organic produce 100% .

Andrew brings to the OTB a wealth of experience as a UK and International produce trader and as a person who started a business from scratch in 2002 , which become a burgeoning and successful one in a short space of time and during one of the most challenging periods for the organic industry.

ANNA ROSIER (ORGANIX)

Anna Rosier runs the award winning Organix, an organic baby and children’s food company. After studying Economics and a dark start to her career in non-organic industry, the last 5 years at Organix has seen her driving the importance of organic to millions of mums every year, encouraging them to give their children the best start in life.

Joining the OTB Committee will allow her to take an active role in the bright future that organics has. Her belief is that the OTB is the best way for us to work together as an industry on the combined vision of making organic a compelling choice for every consumer.

Anna lives in Dorset, with husband and dog, enjoying outdoor activities and village life.

ALEX SMITH (ALARA)

Alex Smith founded his muesli manufacturing company Alara Wholefoods over 30 years ago in humble surroundings whilst living without money in a Tolmers Square squat. The business now produces over 70 tonnes of muesli a week. From the very beginning Alara was a business based on the principals and beliefs he lived his life by and being as organic and environmentally friendly as possible was, and still is, a big part of that. In 1983 Alara started to make organic muesli. In 1988 they joined the Soil Association, and became the first certified organic cereal manufacturer in the world.

Alex also likes to get his hands dirty, although not when making muesli, and recently created a number of community garden projects around the Alara site, including a food growing garden for local community groups to grow produce in, and the largest inner London Vineyard.

Alex is passionate about organic food and uses the many and varied positions of responsibility and committees he is involved with to promote the industry. He funded the launch meeting of the OTB in May 2007.

Alex is married with one daughter and spends his spare time tending his plants in his Permaculture Forest Garden.

LYNETTE SINCLAIR (TIDEFORD) www.tidefordorganics.com

A dedicated organic consumer from the age of 14 when I started working on Saturdays in our local Cranks in Totnes! Following a career in London in Planning, Marketing and Advertising which spanned 20 years working with companies such as The Burton Group and Grey, McCann Erickson, Procter & Gamble and Glaxo SmithKline I returned to Devon with my family.

In 2006 I joined Tideford as Sales & Marketing Director, delighted to be working in an industry I finally believed in and took over as Managing Director in 2008.  My passion for the organic food movement has only strengthened as the years have gone by, clearly being the only sensible way of farming, cooking and feeding the family.

I am delighted to have this opportunity of joining the OTB Committee and championing such a worthy cause and very much look forward to working with the other members of the team.