Former head of agriculture at Morrisons joins the farmers’ union in May
Sophie Throup has been announced as successor to Terry Jones as director general of the NFU when he steps down in the spring.
Throup will join the NFU on 5 May from Myton Food Group, where she has been senior director since 2023. She has extensive experience in manufacturing, processing and retail, and has previously held the role of head of agriculture at Morrisons.
She has also been a non-executive director for Assured Food Standards, was a steering committee member for the Food Industry Initiative on Antimicrobials (FIIA), and a part of Defra’s Animal Health and Welfare Pathway sub-group focusing on legislation.
Her experience in the food supply chain is preceded by a decade in the veterinary sector and time in non-executive and advisory roles, including with Defra as part of the Trade and Agriculture Commission’s development.
Coming from a mixed farm which produces milk, arable crops and free-range eggs, Throup is described as having a passion for farming. In recent years, she led in setting up the ‘School of Sustainable Food and Farming’ at Harper Adams University with Morrisons, the NFU and McDonald’s, which helps shape research, training and innovative support to boost sustainable farming.
She said: “It is an honour and a privilege to have the opportunity to lead the NFU and take this great organisation forward with energy, commitment and a clear vision for its future.
“With our family farming back home in Yorkshire, my roots have always been in agriculture, and I know how important this period of change is for the sector. I am a great believer of strength in unity, something the NFU has at its core, and I’m looking forward to working with and listening to our members to help make a positive difference for farming in England and Wales.”
NFU president Tom Bradshaw added: “I’d like to welcome Sophie to the NFU and we are delighted with her appointment at this pivotal time for the farming industry. She brings with her a wealth of experience in the commercial and animal health sectors alongside a clear passion for farming and food production. I look forward to working with her to deliver a thriving, vibrant NFU that creates opportunities for our members.
“I’d also like to thank Terry Jones for his dedication to the NFU and its members over the past 10 years, and for leading the NFU through one of the most challenging periods for the sector.”
