Anthony Snell has been elected as president of the International Blackcurrant Association (IBA), the first Briton to take on the role.
Snell, a director at Herefordshire soft-fruit grower AJ & CI Snell, was elected at the IBA's annual general meeting, which took place on 16 June during the International Blackcurrant Conference in Ashford, Kent.
Dane Jens Pederson and Piotr Baryla from Poland were also elected as vice presidents.
Snell said his priorities for the role include raising aweness of blackcurrants beyond purely an ingredient in Ribena, as well as highlighting their many health benefits, to help build consumption of the niche crop.
He also wants to work on reconciling supply and demand. While in certain countries - such as UK supply to Ribena and Japanese to the neutrcacuetical market - supply and demand are in good balance, but in Poland there are many small growers producing without a fixed market. Poland grows around half of all of the world's blackcurrants.
'Blackcurrants is a very specific crop, but with fairly unique properties,' he said. 'There are some interesting challenges, but also exciting prospects for the crop.'
Snell's term as president begins immediately and will run for at least two years, until the next conference in France in two years' time.
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