“Women in Food and Farming” is a group of professional women in food, agriculture and the land-based industries at all stages of their careers, who get together to discuss business issues, support each other via mentorship and advice, and help generate networks of contacts that might be useful to themselves and their businesses.

Founded in 2011 by Christine Tacon CBE, the group started back in 2011 with just five women and has now grown to over 500 members. Christine is known to many as the first Grocery Code Adjudicator and head of the Co-op’s farming business, she has just been appointed Chair of Assured Food Standards which operates the Red Tractor Assurance scheme amongst other roles.

In the August broadcast we welcome guest speaker Nina Patil, Director of Fresh Express India. Nina is a multi-talented and multi-faceted personality, She takes keen interest in farming and lives by the belief quality of a product is shaped by its growing practices. Nina ensures certifications like GLOBALGAP and BSCI are implemented in spirit and action on an ongoing basis, every step of the way.

Fresh Express export and promote Indian Fresh Produce, specifically Table Grapes and Natural Sun Dried Raisins, grown on our own and partner farms with 700+ small farmers. They have been marketing fresh produce from India across the Globe successfully for the last 27 years.

Nina is passionate about Natural farming where plants thrive in their natural eco system with the help of locally grown resources and minimal use of chemical fertilisers. Fresh Express use natural methods to retain and improve soil health, control pests, and increase yields, thus making Farming sustainable for the smallest of farmers. She strongly advocates Woman Empowerment, 95% of the work force are ladies and proudly financially independent. Nina has been involved in the fields of certification, recruitment, training, organizational development and performance enhancement since the last 20+ years. Fresh Express ensures certifications are not just a list of compliances but are lived and followed in spirit and action.