Pasture for Life appoints Adrian Carne as new Chair

Pasture for Life appoints Yeo Valley leader Adrian Carne as Chair to help scale its trusted certification through national partnerships and market growth

Pasture for Life (PfL) has appointed Adrian Carne, former Managing Director of Yeo Valley and Chair of UK Organic, as its new Chair. The move highlights the growing national influence of the farming organisation – home of the UK’s leading 100 percent pasture-fed certification – that has been at the forefront of the growing interest in regenerative agriculture in the UK over the past 10 years.

PfL already represents 147 certified producers and its wider membership base of 1,500 manages more than 711,000 acres of grassland. Research has shown that Pasture for Life certified farms can achieve eight times the national average net income for beef producers, double the profitability per hectare and five times more profit per livestock unit. Carne’s appointment reflects that the certified model is ready for a wider commercial scale, connecting these high-performing farms to premium British markets.

“We’re all delighted to have Adrian join us at this pivotal time as we embark upon our five year strategy to 2030.” PfL Chief Executive Jimmy Woodrow said. “Adrian brings commercial energy, nous and networks that will complement the excellent foundation we have built with our community of farmers.”

PfL’s recent success in delivering a £1.75 million Farming in Protected Landscapes (DEFRA) programme, spanning 18 regions, has proven its capacity to manage large, multi-partner projects. Building on that record, the organisation is creating the infrastructure and investment pathways needed to expand certified pasture-fed supply chains across the UK.

The same programme has proven how PfL’s certification and mentoring approach can transform on-farm performance, both economically and ecologically. Within these projects, 100 percent of participating farmers reported greater confidence in decision-making, and 75 percent made positive business changes within a year, with statistically significant improvements in wellbeing. The initiative proved how Pasture for Life’s peer-to-peer support model delivers real, rapid change on the ground with 93 trained farmer mentors and 25 farmer consultants. The next step is scale. As one farmer said, “I’ve gained more timely, relevant and actionable information from this group than from all the carbon accounting tools put together.”

For corporate and financial partners, the value is clear. Corporations making net-zero commitments need credible verification partners. Pasture for Life’s certification is audited, evidence-based and delivers measurable biodiversity and carbon outcomes. The mark provides the assurance and authenticity that ESG strategies require, replacing unverified claims with proven results from real British farms.

“Pasture for Life has cracked the hardest problem in regenerative agriculture,” Carne said. “It has built farmer trust, certification credibility and proven environmental outcomes. What will help PfL now in its development is what great businesses like Yeo Valley have been able to achieve: national supply-chain connections that reward farmers fairly while reaching mainstream markets. With 147 exceptional certified producers and a supportive market, the commercial opportunity is enormous.”