As Board member, Caroline was pivotal in the creation and evolution of CHAP into an organisation capable of successfully accelerating agri-tech innovation, to help build robust and resilient farming systems for the future.
Her significant achievements in agriculture were balanced only by her modesty towards the impact she made on the industry, of which she was most impassioned.
As a tribute to her, we would like to recall the words she gave to us during ‘A conversation with..’ when we asked, what would you like to be remembered for?
“What a difficult question! Essentially, I think I would like to be remembered for the part I have played in building bridges. When LEAF started out, the notion of organisations as disparate as the NFU sitting around the same table as say, the CPRE or the RSPB was almost unthinkable.
“I have always been motivated by people and partnerships and I hope that I will be remembered for bringing people together, inspiring retailers, policy makers, conservationists, consumer groups and farmers to work in partnership towards a shared vision of a more sustainable planet. And of course, I will forever be remembered for being the ‘LEAF Lady’!”
The CHAP Board and wider family would like to express our deepest gratitude for the contribution Caroline made to our organisation, and also to express our sincere condolences to her family.
Caroline studied agriculture at Seale Hayne Agriculture College before working on various farms across the world. It was then that she joined LEAF as Chief Executive at its inception in 1991. Awarded an MBE for services to the agricultural industry in 2009, she also achieved a Doctor of Science honoris causa (Hon DSc) from Harper Adams University. As well as being a CHAP Board member, Caroline was a Nuffield Scholar and Honorary Fellow for the Society of the Environment.
