Tesco has announced the appointment of Tom Hind as its new agriculture director.
The appointment of Hind, who has more than 15 years of experience at the National Farmers Union and most recently worked as director of corporate affairs, backs up Tesco CEO Philip Clarke's commitment to build more a transparent supply chain among farmers and growers in the wake of the horsemeat scandal.
Acting as the main point of contact between Tesco's commercial teams and UK farmers, Hind will also be responsible in helping Tesco's agricultural suppliers become more sustainable.
'As British agriculture's biggest customer, we're proud of the relationships we've developed with thousands of farmers across the UK,' said Kevin Grace, commercial director at Tesco.
He added: 'Tom is a respected figure in British agriculture and will bring with him a huge amount of hands-on farming experience. His relationship with farmers will ensure their views continue to be heard throughout Tesco.
During his career at theNFU, Hind has overseen British farming's response to challenging animal welfare issues including Bovine TB.
Meanwhile, Hind said he was ready to continue to 'make a difference' on behalf of growers.
He said: 'Throughout my career I have been motivated by trying to make a difference on behalf of farmers and growers. I'm looking forward to working with the Tesco team and its suppliers to develop even closer working relationships between farmers, manufacturers and the retailer.'
His efforts at the NFU were praised by director general Andy Roberston who said it would 'continue to work closely' with Hind in his new role.
