Wiltshire farmer Richard Butler has been appointed chairman of The Voluntary Initiative.
He succeeds Prof Barry Dent, who is to retire after successfully chairing the VI - a programme of measures which promote responsible pesticide use - from its start ten years ago.
Mr Butler said: “I am delighted to take on this role. The VI has achieved a lot in its first decade. With new European legislation being implemented in the UK, it is vital that government, regulators and farmers make the most of existing voluntary schemes to keep red tape to a minimum.
“The VI now has an essential role to play in the next decade as British agriculture responds to the twin challenges of increasing production and reducing environmental impact.”
Mr Butler manages a 1,700-acre family farm near Marlborough, Wiltshire.
Farm enterprises include a Holstein dairy herd supplying milk to Waitrose, beef cattle fattening unit and an extensive arable combine crop enterprise specialising in wheat grown for seed and milling as well as malting barley production.
Richard is currently treasurer of The Farmers Club in London and is also a past chairman of the NFU cereals committee.
Since 2001, over £86 million has been invested in the VI by the agricultural industry.
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