NFU member Gwyn Jones, who has lived on a family farm near Kirdford, West Sussex for more than 40 years, has been awarded a BEM (British Empire Medal).
He is a leading national figure in establishing government strategy for promoting and improving animal health and welfare standards across the country.
Mr Jones said: “It is a huge honour to receive this award and a big surprise – I didn’t expect anything like this.
“I have always been passionate about animal health and welfare and I know many other farmers support the work.”
Former officeholder
Mr Jones has a long-standing relationship with the NFU.
He was NFU Vice-president between 2010 and 2012, NFU Dairy Board Chair between 2004 and 2010 and has also been NFU West Sussex Chair and a council representative.
Mr Jones, who was a dairy farmer in West Sussex for more than 30 years – at one point running a 700-cow herd and building one of the first anaerobic digesters in the country – is still involved in the NFU’s work as a member.
“I’m pleased to see that the NFU keeps pushing for animal health and welfare standards to be upheld.”
NFU member Gwyn Jones
Animal welfare standards
He said: “We have one of the best animal welfare standards in the world in this country and that is something we should be proud of.
“I’m pleased to see that the NFU keeps pushing for animal health and welfare standards to be upheld and for the government to not allow these standards to be dropped for countries importing food into this country.”
Mr Jones has held many other distinguished roles within the farming industry.
As a member of Defra’s Animal Health and Welfare Board for England, he is currently involved in forming the government’s animal health and welfare policy.
He is an active member of the sub-group developing the Animal Health and Welfare ‘Pathway’ project whose prime aim is to improve farm animal health and welfare across the UK’s national herds and flocks and chairs the BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhoea) eradication scheme in England.
He was Chair of RUMA (Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture) for seven years, Chair of EPRUMA (the European equivalent of RUMA), Chair of the COPA-Cogeca Animal Health and Welfare Working Group, an active member of the FAWC (Farm Animal Welfare Council), a member of the BVA (British Veterinary Association) Welfare and Ethics Group, and a member of the University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine’s External Liaison and Advisory Committee.
Mr Jones was born into a farming family in North Wales and trained as an engineer before returning to agriculture in Wales.
He ran the beef and sheep units at Moulton College of Agriculture, before moving to West Sussex.
